diff --git a/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/DefaultGraphQlTester.java b/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/DefaultGraphQlTester.java
index 47e5f9df..9ee6f63c 100644
--- a/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/DefaultGraphQlTester.java
+++ b/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/DefaultGraphQlTester.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2021 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2022 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -336,8 +336,7 @@ class DefaultGraphQlTester implements GraphQlTester {
 
 		@Override
 		public PathSpec pathDoesNotExist() {
-			this.responseContainer
-					.doAssert(() -> this.pathHelper.doesNotHaveJsonPath(this.responseContainer.jsonContent()));
+			this.responseContainer.doAssert(() -> this.pathHelper.doesNotHaveJsonPath(this.responseContainer.jsonContent()));
 			return this;
 		}
 
@@ -355,21 +354,13 @@ class DefaultGraphQlTester implements GraphQlTester {
 
 		@Override
 		public PathSpec valueIsEmpty() {
-			this.responseContainer.doAssert(() -> {
-				try {
-					this.pathHelper.assertValueIsEmpty(this.responseContainer.jsonContent());
-				}
-				catch (AssertionError ex) {
-					// ignore
-				}
-			});
+			this.responseContainer.doAssert(() -> this.pathHelper.assertValueIsEmpty(this.responseContainer.jsonContent()));
 			return this;
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public PathSpec valueIsNotEmpty() {
-			this.responseContainer
-					.doAssert(() -> this.pathHelper.assertValueIsNotEmpty(this.responseContainer.jsonContent()));
+			this.responseContainer.doAssert(() -> this.pathHelper.assertValueIsNotEmpty(this.responseContainer.jsonContent()));
 			return this;
 		}
 
diff --git a/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTester.java b/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTester.java
index cd575a6b..080e0355 100644
--- a/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTester.java
+++ b/spring-graphql-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTester.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2021 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2022 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -249,15 +249,15 @@ public interface GraphQlTester {
 		PathSpec valueDoesNotExist();
 
 		/**
-		 * Assert the value at the given path does not exist or is empty as defined in
-		 * {@link org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils#isEmpty(Object)}.
+		 * Assert the value at the given path does exist but is empty as defined
+		 * in {@link org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils#isEmpty(Object)}.
 		 * @return spec to assert the converted entity with
 		 * @see org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils#isEmpty(Object)
 		 */
 		PathSpec valueIsEmpty();
 
 		/**
-		 * Assert the value at the given path is not {@link #valueIsEmpty()}.
+		 * Assert the value at the given path is not {@link #valueIsEmpty() empty}.
 		 * @return spec to assert the converted entity with
 		 */
 		PathSpec valueIsNotEmpty();
diff --git a/spring-graphql-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTesterTests.java b/spring-graphql-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTesterTests.java
index 866bd299..12bd377b 100644
--- a/spring-graphql-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTesterTests.java
+++ b/spring-graphql-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/graphql/test/tester/GraphQlTesterTests.java
@@ -66,16 +66,34 @@ public class GraphQlTesterTests {
 
 
 	@Test
-	void pathAndValueExistsAndEmptyChecks() throws Exception {
+	void pathAndValueExist() throws Exception {
 
 		String query = "{me {name, friends}}";
 		setResponse("{\"me\": {\"name\":\"Luke Skywalker\", \"friends\":[]}}");
 
 		GraphQlTester.ResponseSpec spec = this.graphQlTester.query(query).execute();
 
-		spec.path("me.name").pathExists().valueExists().valueIsNotEmpty();
+		spec.path("me.name").pathExists().valueExists();
+		spec.path("me.friends").pathExists().valueExists();
+		spec.path("hero").pathDoesNotExist().valueDoesNotExist();
+
+		assertThat(this.inputCaptor.getValue().getQuery()).contains(query);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void valueIsEmpty() throws Exception {
+
+		String query = "{me {name, friends}}";
+		setResponse("{\"me\": {\"name\":null, \"friends\":[]}}");
+
+		GraphQlTester.ResponseSpec spec = this.graphQlTester.query(query).execute();
+
+		spec.path("me.name").valueIsEmpty();
 		spec.path("me.friends").valueIsEmpty();
-		spec.path("hero").pathDoesNotExist().valueDoesNotExist().valueIsEmpty();
+
+		assertThatThrownBy(() -> spec.path("hero").valueIsEmpty())
+				.as("Path does not even exist")
+				.hasMessageContaining("No value at JSON path \"$['data']['hero']");
 
 		assertThat(this.inputCaptor.getValue().getQuery()).contains(query);
 	}