diff --git a/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptions.java b/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptions.java
index 3ff973a73..f449c938b 100644
--- a/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptions.java
+++ b/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptions.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import com.datastax.oss.driver.api.core.CqlIdentifier;
  * @author Lukasz Antoniak
  * @author Tomasz Lelek
  * @author Sam Lightfoot
+ * @author Thomas Strauß
  * @see QueryOptions
  */
 public class WriteOptions extends QueryOptions {
@@ -327,12 +328,7 @@ public class WriteOptions extends QueryOptions {
 		 * @return {@code this} {@link WriteOptionsBuilder}
 		 */
 		public WriteOptionsBuilder ttl(int ttl) {
-
-			Assert.isTrue(ttl >= 0, "TTL must be greater than equal to zero");
-
-			this.ttl = Duration.ofSeconds(ttl);
-
-			return this;
+			return ttl(Duration.ofSeconds(ttl));
 		}
 
 		/**
diff --git a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptionsUnitTests.java b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptionsUnitTests.java
index d9de9701e..0d6f9a756 100644
--- a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptionsUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/WriteOptionsUnitTests.java
@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ class WriteOptionsUnitTests {
 		assertThat(writeOptions.getTracing()).isTrue();
 		assertThat(writeOptions.getKeyspace()).isEqualTo(CqlIdentifier.fromCql("my_keyspace"));
 		assertThat(writeOptions.isIdempotent()).isEqualTo(true);
-		assertThat(writeOptions.getRoutingKeyspace()).isEqualTo(
-				CqlIdentifier.fromCql("routing_keyspace"));
+		assertThat(writeOptions.getRoutingKeyspace()).isEqualTo(CqlIdentifier.fromCql("routing_keyspace"));
 		assertThat(writeOptions.getRoutingKey()).isEqualTo(ByteBuffer.allocate(1));
 	}
 
@@ -104,36 +103,20 @@ class WriteOptionsUnitTests {
 		assertThat(mutated.getPageSize()).isEqualTo(10);
 		assertThat(mutated.getTracing()).isTrue();
 		assertThat(writeOptions.isIdempotent()).isEqualTo(true);
-		assertThat(writeOptions.getRoutingKeyspace()).isEqualTo(
-				CqlIdentifier.fromCql("routing_keyspace"));
+		assertThat(writeOptions.getRoutingKeyspace()).isEqualTo(CqlIdentifier.fromCql("routing_keyspace"));
 		assertThat(writeOptions.getRoutingKey()).isEqualTo(ByteBuffer.allocate(1));
 	}
 
 	@Test // GH-1248
 	void buildWriteOptionsWithTtlDurationZero() {
-		try {
-			WriteOptions writeOptions = WriteOptions.builder()
-					.ttl(Duration.ZERO)
-					.build();
-			
-			fail("WiteOptionsBuilder must not allow zero TTL");
-		}
-		catch (Exception e) {
-			// expected behavior
-		}
+		assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() -> WriteOptions.builder().ttl(0));
+		assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() -> WriteOptions.builder().ttl(Duration.ZERO));
 	}
 
 	@Test // GH-1248
 	void buildWriteOptionsWithTtlNegativeDuration() {
-		try {
-			WriteOptions writeOptions = WriteOptions.builder()
-					.ttl(Duration.of(-1, ChronoUnit.MICROS))
-					.build();
-
-			fail("WiteOptionsBuilder must not allow negative TTL");
-		}
-		catch (Exception e) {
-			// expected behavior
-		}
+		assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() -> WriteOptions.builder().ttl(-1));
+		assertThatIllegalArgumentException()
+				.isThrownBy(() -> WriteOptions.builder().ttl(Duration.of(-1, ChronoUnit.MICROS)));
 	}
 }