diff --git a/lib/tasks/gitlab/test.rake b/lib/tasks/gitlab/test.rake
index 9516210e20..f38fe7810c 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/gitlab/test.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/gitlab/test.rake
@@ -8,9 +8,8 @@ namespace :gitlab do
     ]
 
     cmds.each do |cmd|
-      result = system({'RAILS_ENV' => 'test', 'force' => 'yes'}, *cmd)
-
-      raise "#{cmd} failed!" unless result
+      system({'RAILS_ENV' => 'test', 'force' => 'yes'}, *cmd) ||
+        raise "#{cmd} failed!"
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/spec.rake b/lib/tasks/spec.rake
index 49fbe1bd47..a7cd7483be 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/spec.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/spec.rake
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ end
 
 def run_commands(cmds)
   cmds.each do |cmd|
-    system({'RAILS_ENV' => 'test', 'force' => 'yes'}, *cmd)
-    raise "#{cmd} failed!" unless $?.exitstatus.zero?
+    system({'RAILS_ENV' => 'test', 'force' => 'yes'}, *cmd) ||
+      raise "#{cmd} failed!"
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/spinach.rake b/lib/tasks/spinach.rake
index c23d0e0e18..ebcce1e650 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/spinach.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/spinach.rake
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ task :spinach do
   ]
 
   cmds.each do |cmd|
-    system({'RAILS_ENV' => 'test', 'force' => 'yes'}, *cmd)
-    raise "#{cmd} failed!" unless $?.exitstatus.zero?
+    system({'RAILS_ENV' => 'test', 'force' => 'yes'}, *cmd) ||
+      raise "#{cmd} failed!"
   end
 end