diff --git a/compos/tests/java/android/compos/test/ComposTestCase.java b/compos/tests/java/android/compos/test/ComposTestCase.java
index 4851321..bd011fa 100644
--- a/compos/tests/java/android/compos/test/ComposTestCase.java
+++ b/compos/tests/java/android/compos/test/ComposTestCase.java
@@ -116,13 +116,13 @@
 
     @Test
     public void testOdrefreshSpeed() throws Exception {
-        getDevice().setProperty(SYSTEM_SERVER_COMPILER_FILTER_PROP_NAME, "speed");
+        setPropertyOrThrow(getDevice(), SYSTEM_SERVER_COMPILER_FILTER_PROP_NAME, "speed");
         testOdrefresh();
     }
 
     @Test
     public void testOdrefreshSpeedProfile() throws Exception {
-        getDevice().setProperty(SYSTEM_SERVER_COMPILER_FILTER_PROP_NAME, "speed-profile");
+        setPropertyOrThrow(getDevice(), SYSTEM_SERVER_COMPILER_FILTER_PROP_NAME, "speed-profile");
         testOdrefresh();
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/hostside/helper/java/com/android/microdroid/test/host/MicrodroidHostTestCaseBase.java b/tests/hostside/helper/java/com/android/microdroid/test/host/MicrodroidHostTestCaseBase.java
index 98327a9..937fbee 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/helper/java/com/android/microdroid/test/host/MicrodroidHostTestCaseBase.java
+++ b/tests/hostside/helper/java/com/android/microdroid/test/host/MicrodroidHostTestCaseBase.java
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@
         LogArchiver.archiveLogThenDelete(logs, device, remotePath, localName);
     }
 
+    public static void setPropertyOrThrow(ITestDevice device, String propertyName, String value)
+            throws DeviceNotAvailableException {
+        if (!device.setProperty(propertyName, value)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Failed to set sysprop " + propertyName + " to " + value);
+        }
+    }
+
     // Run an arbitrary command in the host side and returns the result.
     // Note failure is not an error.
     public static String tryRunOnHost(String... cmd) {
diff --git a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/DebugPolicyHostTests.java b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/DebugPolicyHostTests.java
index 9cf28c7..ffeae09 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/DebugPolicyHostTests.java
+++ b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/DebugPolicyHostTests.java
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@
         // or tryLaunchProtectedNonDebuggableVm().
         mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost =
                 FileUtil.createTempFile(CUSTOM_PVMFW_FILE_PREFIX, CUSTOM_PVMFW_FILE_SUFFIX);
-        mAndroidDevice.setProperty(CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH);
-        mAndroidDevice.setProperty(CUSTOM_DEBUG_POLICY_PATH_PROP, CUSTOM_DEBUG_POLICY_PATH);
+        setPropertyOrThrow(mAndroidDevice, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH);
+        setPropertyOrThrow(mAndroidDevice, CUSTOM_DEBUG_POLICY_PATH_PROP, CUSTOM_DEBUG_POLICY_PATH);
 
         // Prepare for launching microdroid
         mAndroidDevice.installPackage(findTestFile(PACKAGE_FILE_NAME), /* reinstall */ false);
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@
         mAndroidDevice.uninstallPackage(PACKAGE_NAME);
 
         // Cleanup for custom debug policies
-        mAndroidDevice.setProperty(CUSTOM_DEBUG_POLICY_PATH_PROP, "");
-        mAndroidDevice.setProperty(CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, "");
+        setPropertyOrThrow(mAndroidDevice, CUSTOM_DEBUG_POLICY_PATH_PROP, "");
+        setPropertyOrThrow(mAndroidDevice, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, "");
         FileUtil.deleteFile(mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost);
 
         cleanUpVirtualizationTestSetup(mAndroidDevice);
diff --git a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwImgTest.java b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwImgTest.java
index 320b722..af92674 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwImgTest.java
+++ b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwImgTest.java
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
         // when launching with launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted().
         mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost =
                 FileUtil.createTempFile(CUSTOM_PVMFW_FILE_PREFIX, CUSTOM_PVMFW_FILE_SUFFIX);
-        mAndroidDevice.setProperty(CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH);
+        setPropertyOrThrow(mAndroidDevice, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH);
 
         // Prepare for launching microdroid
         mAndroidDevice.installPackage(findTestFile(PACKAGE_FILE_NAME), /* reinstall */ false);
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
         mAndroidDevice.uninstallPackage(PACKAGE_NAME);
 
         // Cleanup for custom pvmfw.img
-        mAndroidDevice.setProperty(CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, "");
+        setPropertyOrThrow(mAndroidDevice, CUSTOM_PVMFW_IMG_PATH_PROP, "");
         FileUtil.deleteFile(mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost);
 
         cleanUpVirtualizationTestSetup(mAndroidDevice);