diff --git a/client/lcd/lcd_test.go b/client/lcd/lcd_test.go
index 1fcac4a554..4d563c6e2d 100644
--- a/client/lcd/lcd_test.go
+++ b/client/lcd/lcd_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	keys "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/keys"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/examples/basecoin/app"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
 	cryptoKeys "github.com/tendermint/go-crypto/keys"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/p2p"
@@ -20,113 +22,106 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestKeys(t *testing.T) {
-	kb, db, err := initKeybase()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Couldn't init Keybase. Error $s", err.Error())
-	}
+	kb, db, err := initKeybase(t)
+	require.Nil(t, err, "Couldn't init Keybase")
+
 	cdc := app.MakeCodec()
 	r := initRouter(cdc)
 
 	// empty keys
-	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "/keys", nil)
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "/keys", nil)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
 	res := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	r.ServeHTTP(res, req)
-	checkResponseCode(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code)
-	if body := res.Body.String(); body != "[]" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected an empty array. Got %s", body)
-	}
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code, "Expected response code")
+	body := res.Body.String()
+	require.Equal(t, body, "[]", "Expected an empty array")
 
 	info, _, err := kb.Create("test", "1234567890", cryptoKeys.CryptoAlgo("ed25519"))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Couldn't add key. Error $s", err.Error())
-	}
+	require.Nil(t, err, "Couldn't add key")
 
 	// existing keys
-	req, _ = http.NewRequest("GET", "/keys", nil)
+	req, err = http.NewRequest("GET", "/keys", nil)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
 	res = httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	r.ServeHTTP(res, req)
-	checkResponseCode(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code, "Expected response code")
 	var m [1]keys.KeyOutput
 	decoder := json.NewDecoder(res.Body)
 	err = decoder.Decode(&m)
 
-	if m[0].Name != "test" {
-		t.Errorf("Did not serve keys name correctly. Got %s", m[0].Name)
-	}
-	if m[0].Address != info.PubKey.Address().String() {
-		t.Errorf("Did not serve keys Address correctly. Got %s, Expected %s", m[0].Address, info.PubKey.Address().String())
-	}
+	assert.Equal(t, m[0].Name, "test", "Did not serve keys name correctly")
+	assert.Equal(t, m[0].Address, info.PubKey.Address().String(), "Did not serve keys Address correctly")
 
 	// select key
 	req, _ = http.NewRequest("GET", "/keys/test", nil)
 	res = httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	r.ServeHTTP(res, req)
-	checkResponseCode(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code, "Expected response code")
 	var m2 keys.KeyOutput
 	decoder = json.NewDecoder(res.Body)
 	err = decoder.Decode(&m2)
 
-	if m2.Name != "test" {
-		t.Errorf("Did not serve keys name correctly. Got %s", m2.Name)
-	}
-	if m2.Address != info.PubKey.Address().String() {
-		t.Errorf("Did not serve keys Address correctly. Got %s, Expected %s", m2.Address, info.PubKey.Address().String())
-	}
+	assert.Equal(t, m2.Name, "test", "Did not serve keys name correctly")
+	assert.Equal(t, m2.Address, info.PubKey.Address().String(), "Did not serve keys Address correctly")
 
 	// update key
 	var jsonStr = []byte(`{"old_password":"1234567890", "new_password":"12345678901"}`)
-	req, _ = http.NewRequest("PUT", "/keys/test", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonStr))
+	req, err = http.NewRequest("PUT", "/keys/test", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonStr))
+	require.Nil(t, err)
 	res = httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	r.ServeHTTP(res, req)
-	checkResponseCode(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code, "Expected response code")
 
 	// here it should say unauthorized as we changed the password before
-	req, _ = http.NewRequest("PUT", "/keys/test", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonStr))
+	req, err = http.NewRequest("PUT", "/keys/test", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonStr))
+	require.Nil(t, err)
 	res = httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	r.ServeHTTP(res, req)
-	checkResponseCode(t, http.StatusUnauthorized, res.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusUnauthorized, res.Code, "Expected response code")
 
 	// delete key
 	jsonStr = []byte(`{"password":"12345678901"}`)
-	req, _ = http.NewRequest("DELETE", "/keys/test", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonStr))
+	req, err = http.NewRequest("DELETE", "/keys/test", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonStr))
+	require.Nil(t, err)
 	res = httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	r.ServeHTTP(res, req)
-	checkResponseCode(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code, "Expected response code")
 
 	db.Close()
 }
 
 func TestNodeInfo(t *testing.T) {
 	prepareApp(t)
-	_, db, err := initKeybase()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Couldn't init Keybase. Error $s", err.Error())
-	}
+	_, db, err := initKeybase(t)
+	require.Nil(t, err, "Couldn't init Keybase")
 	cdc := app.MakeCodec()
 	r := initRouter(cdc)
 
-	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "/node_info", nil)
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "/node_info", nil)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
 	res := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	r.ServeHTTP(res, req)
-	checkResponseCode(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code)
+	require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, res.Code, "Expected response code")
 
 	var m p2p.NodeInfo
 	decoder := json.NewDecoder(res.Body)
 	err = decoder.Decode(&m)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Couldn't parse node info, Got %s", res.Body.String())
-	}
+	require.Nil(t, err, "Couldn't parse node info")
 
 	db.Close()
 }
 
+//__________________________________________________________
+// helpers
+
 func defaultLogger() log.Logger {
 	return log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)).With("module", "sdk/app")
 }
@@ -142,19 +137,11 @@ func prepareApp(t *testing.T) {
 	app.Commit()
 }
 
-func initKeybase() (cryptoKeys.Keybase, *dbm.GoLevelDB, error) {
+func initKeybase(t *testing.T) (cryptoKeys.Keybase, *dbm.GoLevelDB, error) {
 	os.RemoveAll("./testKeybase")
 	db, err := dbm.NewGoLevelDB("keys", "./testKeybase")
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
+	require.Nil(t, err)
 	kb := client.GetKeyBase(db)
 	keys.SetKeyBase(kb)
 	return kb, db, nil
 }
-
-func checkResponseCode(t *testing.T, expected, actual int) {
-	if expected != actual {
-		t.Errorf("Expected response code %d. Got %d\n", expected, actual)
-	}
-}