diff --git a/marklogic/transactions.py b/marklogic/transactions.py
index 02ed1a8..50c7d95 100644
--- a/marklogic/transactions.py
+++ b/marklogic/transactions.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 from requests import Response, Session
+from requests.exceptions import HTTPError
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -71,9 +72,10 @@ def __exit__(self, *args):
             if len(args) > 1 and isinstance(args[1], Exception)
             else self.commit()
         )
-        assert (
-            204 == response.status_code
-        ), f"Could not end transaction; cause: {response.text}"
+        # raise_for_status() is not used here as it results in an error without any
+        # context of what went wrong.
+        if response.status_code != 204:
+            raise HTTPError(f"Could not end transaction; cause: {response.text}")
 
 
 class TransactionManager:
diff --git a/tests/test_transactions.py b/tests/test_transactions.py
index a2ca3e7..1228a10 100644
--- a/tests/test_transactions.py
+++ b/tests/test_transactions.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import time
 from marklogic import Client
 from marklogic.documents import Document
+from requests.exceptions import HTTPError
 
 PERMS = {"python-tester": ["read", "update"]}
 
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ def test_time_limit(client: Client):
             doc1 = Document("/t1.json", {}, permissions=PERMS)
             client.documents.write(doc1, tx=tx)
 
-    except AssertionError as error:
+    except HTTPError as error:
         assert error.args[0].startswith("Could not end transaction")
         assert "No transaction with identifier" in error.args[0]
         assert "XDMP-NOTXN" in error.args[0]