diff --git a/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py b/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py
index 730190444edf..d6ce4e622580 100644
--- a/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py
+++ b/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@
 import uuid
 
 import pytest
+from google.rpc import code_pb2
 
 from google.api_core import exceptions
 from google.api_core.datetime_helpers import DatetimeWithNanoseconds
+
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import param_types
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1.proto.type_pb2 import ARRAY
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1.proto.type_pb2 import BOOL
@@ -776,6 +778,11 @@ def test_transaction_execute_update_then_insert_commit(self):
         # [END spanner_test_dml_update]
         # [END spanner_test_dml_with_mutation]
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _check_batch_status(status_code):
+        if status_code != code_pb2.OK:
+            raise exceptions.from_grpc_status(status_code, "batch_update failed")
+
     def test_transaction_batch_update_success(self):
         # [START spanner_test_dml_with_mutation]
         # [START spanner_test_dml_update]
@@ -808,7 +815,7 @@ def unit_of_work(transaction, self):
             status, row_counts = transaction.batch_update(
                 [insert_statement, update_statement, delete_statement]
             )
-            self.assertEqual(status.code, 0)  # XXX: where are values defined?
+            self._check_batch_status(status.code)
             self.assertEqual(len(row_counts), 3)
             for row_count in row_counts:
                 self.assertEqual(row_count, 1)
@@ -849,7 +856,7 @@ def unit_of_work(transaction, self):
             status, row_counts = transaction.batch_update(
                 insert_statements + update_statements
             )
-            self.assertEqual(status.code, 0)  # XXX: where are values defined?
+            self._check_batch_status(status.code)
             self.assertEqual(len(row_counts), len(insert_statements) + 1)
             for row_count in row_counts:
                 self.assertEqual(row_count, 1)