diff --git a/container_test.go b/container_test.go
index 0da1b967f8..d2a070f2de 100644
--- a/container_test.go
+++ b/container_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -319,28 +318,18 @@ func Test_GetLogsFromFailedContainer(t *testing.T) {
 		ContainerRequest: req,
 		Started:          true,
 	})
-
-	if err != nil && err.Error() != "failed to start container: container exited with code 0" {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	} else if err == nil {
-		terminateContainerOnEnd(t, ctx, c)
-		t.Fatal("was expecting error starting container")
-	}
+	terminateContainerOnEnd(t, ctx, c)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "container exited with code 0")
 
 	logs, logErr := c.Logs(ctx)
-	if logErr != nil {
-		t.Fatal(logErr)
-	}
+	require.NoError(t, logErr)
 
 	b, err := io.ReadAll(logs)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	log := string(b)
-	if strings.Contains(log, "I was not expecting this") == false {
-		t.Fatalf("could not find expected log in %s", log)
-	}
+	require.Contains(t, log, "I was not expecting this")
 }
 
 // dockerImageSubstitutor {
diff --git a/docker.go b/docker.go
index c3dfcb8da2..bc99cbc2dd 100644
--- a/docker.go
+++ b/docker.go
@@ -221,24 +221,24 @@ func (c *DockerContainer) SessionID() string {
 func (c *DockerContainer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	err := c.startingHook(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("starting hook: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	if err := c.provider.client.ContainerStart(ctx, c.ID, container.StartOptions{}); err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("container start: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer c.provider.Close()
 
 	err = c.startedHook(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("started hook: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	c.isRunning = true
 
 	err = c.readiedHook(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("readied hook: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/lifecycle.go b/lifecycle.go
index a0c6b99b88..ce46a77916 100644
--- a/lifecycle.go
+++ b/lifecycle.go
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ var defaultReadinessHook = func() ContainerLifecycleHooks {
 						dockerContainer.ID[:12], dockerContainer.Image, dockerContainer.WaitingFor,
 					)
 					if err := dockerContainer.WaitingFor.WaitUntilReady(ctx, c); err != nil {
-						return err
+						return fmt.Errorf("wait until ready: %w", err)
 					}
 				}
 
diff --git a/options_test.go b/options_test.go
index 13717f1da0..e19ecde96e 100644
--- a/options_test.go
+++ b/options_test.go
@@ -91,19 +91,14 @@ func TestWithLogConsumers(t *testing.T) {
 	err := testcontainers.WithLogConsumers(lc)(&req)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	c, err := testcontainers.GenericContainer(context.Background(), req)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	c, err := testcontainers.GenericContainer(ctx, req)
+	terminateContainerOnEnd(t, ctx, c)
 	// we expect an error because the MySQL environment variables are not set
 	// but this is expected because we just want to test the log consumer
-	require.EqualError(t, err, "failed to start container: container exited with code 1")
-	// c might be not nil even on error
-	if c != nil {
-		defer func() {
-			err = c.Terminate(context.Background())
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-		}()
-	}
-
-	assert.NotEmpty(t, lc.msgs)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "container exited with code 1")
+	require.NotEmpty(t, lc.msgs)
 }
 
 func TestWithStartupCommand(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/wait/wait.go b/wait/wait.go
index c9bc0606f6..ccfd4735e2 100644
--- a/wait/wait.go
+++ b/wait/wait.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ type StrategyTarget interface {
 func checkTarget(ctx context.Context, target StrategyTarget) error {
 	state, err := target.State(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("get state: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	return checkState(state)