diff --git a/lib/internal/http2/core.js b/lib/internal/http2/core.js
index 495fa60ba39ce3..61e32483a143ea 100644
--- a/lib/internal/http2/core.js
+++ b/lib/internal/http2/core.js
@@ -716,8 +716,11 @@ const proxySocketHandler = {
 // data received on the PING acknowlegement.
 function pingCallback(cb) {
   return function pingCallback(ack, duration, payload) {
-    const err = ack ? null : new ERR_HTTP2_PING_CANCEL();
-    cb(err, duration, payload);
+    if (ack) {
+      cb(null, duration, payload);
+    } else {
+      cb(new ERR_HTTP2_PING_CANCEL());
+    }
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/test/common/index.js b/test/common/index.js
index 95bb8dd804881f..bbd2b62d7da768 100644
--- a/test/common/index.js
+++ b/test/common/index.js
@@ -708,6 +708,11 @@ exports.expectsError = function expectsError(fn, settings, exact) {
   }
 
   function innerFn(error) {
+    if (arguments.length !== 1) {
+      // Do not use `assert.strictEqual()` to prevent `util.inspect` from
+      // always being called.
+      assert.fail(`Expected one argument, got ${util.inspect(arguments)}`);
+    }
     const descriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(error, 'message');
     assert.strictEqual(descriptor.enumerable,
                        false, 'The error message should be non-enumerable');