diff --git a/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php b/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php
index cffc93acdf..f7208370eb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php
@@ -99,10 +99,9 @@ abstract class BaseMessageControllerTest extends TestCase
      * Loads messages
      *
      * @param string $category
-     * @param boolean $shouldExist if file should exist
      * @return array
      */
-    abstract protected function loadMessages($category, $shouldExist = true);
+    abstract protected function loadMessages($category);
 
     /**
      * @return array default config
diff --git a/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/PHPMessageControllerTest.php b/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/PHPMessageControllerTest.php
index 9f4e47175c..918c49dae5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/PHPMessageControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/PHPMessageControllerTest.php
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class PHPMessageControllerTest extends BaseMessageControllerTest
     /**
      * @inheritdoc
      */
-    protected function loadMessages($category, $shouldExist = true)
+    protected function loadMessages($category)
     {
         if (defined('HHVM_VERSION')) {
             // https://github.com/facebook/hhvm/issues/1447
@@ -79,10 +79,7 @@ class PHPMessageControllerTest extends BaseMessageControllerTest
 
         $messageFilePath = $this->getMessageFilePath($category);
 
-        if ($shouldExist) {
-            static::assertTrue(file_exists($messageFilePath), "There's no message file $messageFilePath that should exist!");
-        } else {
-            static::assertFalse(file_exists($messageFilePath), "There's message file $messageFilePath that should not exist!");
+        if (!file_exists($messageFilePath)) {
             return [];
         }
         return require $messageFilePath;
diff --git a/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/POMessageControllerTest.php b/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/POMessageControllerTest.php
index 1ed97fbcf6..18f2c74f32 100644
--- a/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/POMessageControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/framework/console/controllers/POMessageControllerTest.php
@@ -74,13 +74,10 @@ class POMessageControllerTest extends BaseMessageControllerTest
     /**
      * @inheritdoc
      */
-    protected function loadMessages($category, $shouldExist = true)
+    protected function loadMessages($category)
     {
         $messageFilePath = $this->getMessageFilePath();
-        if ($shouldExist) {
-            static::assertTrue(file_exists($messageFilePath), "There's no message file $messageFilePath that should exist!");
-        } else {
-            static::assertFalse(file_exists($messageFilePath), "There's message file $messageFilePath that should not exist!");
+        if (!file_exists($messageFilePath)) {
             return [];
         }