diff --git a/format.h b/format.h
index 9440bcbe..b4aee4c6 100644
--- a/format.h
+++ b/format.h
@@ -153,11 +153,13 @@ inline uint32_t clzll(uint64_t x) {
 #endif
 
 // Define FMT_USE_NOEXCEPT to make C++ Format use noexcept (C++11 feature).
-#if FMT_USE_NOEXCEPT || FMT_HAS_FEATURE(cxx_noexcept) || \
-  (FMT_GCC_VERSION >= 408 && FMT_HAS_GXX_CXX11)
-# define FMT_NOEXCEPT noexcept
-#else
-# define FMT_NOEXCEPT throw()
+#ifndef FMT_NOEXCEPT
+# if FMT_USE_NOEXCEPT || FMT_HAS_FEATURE(cxx_noexcept) || \
+   (FMT_GCC_VERSION >= 408 && FMT_HAS_GXX_CXX11)
+#  define FMT_NOEXCEPT noexcept
+# else
+#  define FMT_NOEXCEPT throw()
+# endif
 #endif
 
 // A macro to disallow the copy constructor and operator= functions
diff --git a/test/format-impl-test.cc b/test/format-impl-test.cc
index d4a03c4c..b6211f8f 100644
--- a/test/format-impl-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-impl-test.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
  SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
+#define FMT_NOEXCEPT
 #include "test-assert.h"
 
 // Include format.cc instead of format.h to test implementation-specific stuff.
diff --git a/test/test-assert.h b/test/test-assert.h
index 549cde3b..281b2367 100644
--- a/test/test-assert.h
+++ b/test/test-assert.h
@@ -28,15 +28,20 @@
 #ifndef FMT_TEST_ASSERT_H
 #define FMT_TEST_ASSERT_H
 
-#include <string>
+#include <stdexcept>
 
-static std::string last_assert;
+class AssertionFailure : public std::logic_error {
+ public:
+  explicit AssertionFailure(const char *message) : std::logic_error(message) {}
+};
 
 #define FMT_ASSERT(condition, message) \
-  if (!(condition)) last_assert = message;
+  if (!(condition)) throw AssertionFailure(message);
+
+#include "gtest-extra.h"
 
 // Expects an assertion failure.
 #define EXPECT_ASSERT(stmt, message) \
-  { last_assert = ""; stmt; EXPECT_EQ(last_assert, message); }
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(stmt, AssertionFailure, message)
 
 #endif  // FMT_TEST_ASSERT_H