diff --git a/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go b/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go
index 0c322f3ba06..3ac04c6c97b 100644
--- a/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go
@@ -418,37 +418,7 @@ func TestDistributor_MetricsCleanup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	d.cleanupInactiveUser("userA")
 
-	require.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(`
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_deduped_samples_total The total number of deduplicated samples.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_deduped_samples_total counter
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_latest_seen_sample_timestamp_seconds Unix timestamp of latest received sample per user.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_latest_seen_sample_timestamp_seconds gauge
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_metadata_in_total The total number of metadata the have come in to the distributor, including rejected.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_metadata_in_total counter
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_non_ha_samples_received_total The total number of received samples for a user that has HA tracking turned on, but the sample didn't contain both HA labels.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_non_ha_samples_received_total counter
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_received_metadata_total The total number of received metadata, excluding rejected.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_received_metadata_total counter
-		cortex_distributor_received_metadata_total{user="userB"} 10
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_received_samples_total The total number of received samples, excluding rejected and deduped samples.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_received_samples_total counter
-		cortex_distributor_received_samples_total{user="userB"} 10
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_received_exemplars_total The total number of received exemplars, excluding rejected and deduped exemplars.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_received_exemplars_total counter
-		cortex_distributor_received_exemplars_total{user="userB"} 10
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_samples_in_total The total number of samples that have come in to the distributor, including rejected or deduped samples.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_samples_in_total counter
-
-		# HELP cortex_distributor_exemplars_in_total The total number of exemplars that have come in to the distributor, including rejected or deduped exemplars.
-		# TYPE cortex_distributor_exemplars_in_total counter
-		`), metrics...))
+	require.ErrorContains(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(""), metrics...), "expected metric name(s) not found")
 }
 
 func TestDistributor_PushRequestRateLimiter(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1678,7 +1648,11 @@ func TestDistributor_ExemplarValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedExemplars, tc.req.Timeseries)
-			assert.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(regs[0], strings.NewReader(tc.expectedMetrics), "cortex_discarded_exemplars_total"))
+			if len(tc.expectedMetrics) > 0 {
+				assert.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(regs[0], strings.NewReader(tc.expectedMetrics), "cortex_discarded_exemplars_total"))
+			} else {
+				assert.ErrorContains(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(regs[0], strings.NewReader(""), "cortex_discarded_exemplars_total"), "expected metric name(s) not found")
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -7226,7 +7200,8 @@ func TestDistributor_StorageConfigMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 			# HELP cortex_distributor_ingest_storage_enabled Whether writes are being processed via ingest storage. Equal to 1 if ingest storage is enabled, 0 if disabled.
 			# TYPE cortex_distributor_ingest_storage_enabled gauge
 			cortex_distributor_ingest_storage_enabled 1
-		`), "cortex_distributor_replication_factor", "cortex_distributor_ingest_storage_enabled"))
+		`), "cortex_distributor_ingest_storage_enabled"))
+		assert.ErrorContains(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(regs[0], strings.NewReader(""), "cortex_distributor_replication_factor"), "expected metric name(s) not found")
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/frontend/v1/frontend_test.go b/pkg/frontend/v1/frontend_test.go
index f4c55b02e8b..25a5c119484 100644
--- a/pkg/frontend/v1/frontend_test.go
+++ b/pkg/frontend/v1/frontend_test.go
@@ -222,10 +222,7 @@ func TestFrontendMetricsCleanup(t *testing.T) {
 
 		fr.cleanupInactiveUserMetrics("1")
 
-		require.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(`
-				# HELP cortex_query_frontend_queue_length Number of queries in the queue.
-				# TYPE cortex_query_frontend_queue_length gauge
-			`), "cortex_query_frontend_queue_length"))
+		require.ErrorContains(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(""), "cortex_query_frontend_queue_length"), "expected metric name(s) not found")
 	}
 
 	testFrontend(t, defaultFrontendConfig(), handler, test, nil, reg)
diff --git a/pkg/querier/tenantfederation/merge_queryable_test.go b/pkg/querier/tenantfederation/merge_queryable_test.go
index 2e23fb5f32a..7917039942c 100644
--- a/pkg/querier/tenantfederation/merge_queryable_test.go
+++ b/pkg/querier/tenantfederation/merge_queryable_test.go
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ func TestMergeQueryable_Select(t *testing.T) {
 						require.EqualError(t, seriesSet.Err(), tc.expectedQueryErr.Error())
 					} else {
 						require.NoError(t, seriesSet.Err())
-						assert.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(tc.expectedMetrics), "cortex_querier_federation_sample_tenants_queried"))
+						assert.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(tc.expectedMetrics), "cortex_querier_federation_tenants_queried"))
 						assertEqualWarnings(t, tc.expectedWarnings, seriesSet.Warnings())
 					}
 
@@ -709,7 +709,7 @@ func TestMergeQueryable_LabelNames(t *testing.T) {
 				} else {
 					require.NoError(t, err)
 					assert.Equal(t, scenario.labelNamesTestCase.expectedLabelNames, labelNames)
-					assert.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(scenario.labelNamesTestCase.expectedMetrics), "cortex_querier_federation_sample_tenants_queried"))
+					assert.NoError(t, testutil.GatherAndCompare(reg, strings.NewReader(scenario.labelNamesTestCase.expectedMetrics), "cortex_querier_federation_tenants_queried"))
 					assertEqualWarnings(t, scenario.labelNamesTestCase.expectedWarnings, warnings)
 				}
 			})