diff --git a/test/lib/util/io_channel/io_channel_ut.c b/test/lib/util/io_channel/io_channel_ut.c
index 67e907c8a..07d867c76 100644
--- a/test/lib/util/io_channel/io_channel_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/util/io_channel/io_channel_ut.c
@@ -112,13 +112,13 @@ channel(void)
 	g_create_cb_calls = 0;
 	ch1 = spdk_get_io_channel(&device1, SPDK_IO_PRIORITY_DEFAULT);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_create_cb_calls == 1);
-	CU_ASSERT(ch1 != NULL);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(ch1 != NULL);
 
 	g_create_cb_calls = 0;
 	ch2 = spdk_get_io_channel(&device1, SPDK_IO_PRIORITY_DEFAULT);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_create_cb_calls == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(ch1 == ch2);
-	CU_ASSERT(ch2 != NULL);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(ch2 != NULL);
 
 	g_destroy_cb_calls = 0;
 	spdk_put_io_channel(ch2);
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ channel(void)
 	ch2 = spdk_get_io_channel(&device2, SPDK_IO_PRIORITY_DEFAULT);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_create_cb_calls == 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ch1 != ch2);
-	CU_ASSERT(ch2 != NULL);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(ch2 != NULL);
 
 	ctx = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(ch2);
 	CU_ASSERT(*(uint64_t *)ctx == ctx2);