diff --git a/crates/db/tests/audit_immutability.rs b/crates/db/tests/audit_immutability.rs
index 3cf66ef..abd973f 100644
--- a/crates/db/tests/audit_immutability.rs
+++ b/crates/db/tests/audit_immutability.rs
@@ -29,23 +29,37 @@ async fn update_delete_truncate_are_rejected(pool: PgPool) {
 
     // Each failing statement poisons its connection (Postgres enters aborted-transaction
     // state). Acquire a fresh connection per statement so later assertions are independent.
-    let updated = sqlx::query("UPDATE audit_log SET action = 'deleted'")
+    let update_err = sqlx::query("UPDATE audit_log SET action = 'deleted'")
         .execute(db.pool())
-        .await;
-
-    assert!(updated.is_err(), "UPDATE must be rejected by the trigger");
-
-    let deleted = sqlx::query("DELETE FROM audit_log")
-        .execute(db.pool())
-        .await;
-
-    assert!(deleted.is_err(), "DELETE must be rejected by the trigger");
-
-    let truncated = sqlx::query("TRUNCATE audit_log").execute(db.pool()).await;
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err()
+        .to_string();
 
     assert!(
-        truncated.is_err(),
-        "TRUNCATE must be rejected by the trigger"
+        update_err.contains("audit_log is append-only"),
+        "UPDATE must be rejected by the trigger, got: {update_err}"
+    );
+
+    let delete_err = sqlx::query("DELETE FROM audit_log")
+        .execute(db.pool())
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err()
+        .to_string();
+
+    assert!(
+        delete_err.contains("audit_log is append-only"),
+        "DELETE must be rejected by the trigger, got: {delete_err}"
+    );
+
+    let truncate_err = sqlx::query("TRUNCATE audit_log")
+        .execute(db.pool())
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err()
+        .to_string();
+
+    assert!(
+        truncate_err.contains("audit_log is append-only"),
+        "TRUNCATE must be rejected by the trigger, got: {truncate_err}"
     );
 
     assert_eq!(count(db.pool()).await, 1, "the row is still there");