diff --git a/unittests/resources/checks_unlisted/deps_complex.py b/unittests/resources/checks_unlisted/deps_complex.py
index 96d5795563..b4c1617013 100644
--- a/unittests/resources/checks_unlisted/deps_complex.py
+++ b/unittests/resources/checks_unlisted/deps_complex.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.keep_files = ['out.txt']
 
     @property
-    @sn.sanity_function
+    @deferrable
     def count(self):
         return self._count
 
diff --git a/unittests/test_deferrable.py b/unittests/test_deferrable.py
index b60637e3f0..57a2744b73 100644
--- a/unittests/test_deferrable.py
+++ b/unittests/test_deferrable.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 import reframe.utility.sanity as sn
+from reframe.core.warnings import ReframeDeprecationWarning
 
 
 def test_defer():
@@ -21,6 +22,13 @@ def test_evaluate():
     assert 3 == sn.evaluate(3)
 
 
+def test_depr_warn():
+    with pytest.warns(ReframeDeprecationWarning):
+        @sn.sanity_function
+        def foo():
+            pass
+
+
 def test_implicit_eval():
     # Call to bool() on a deferred expression triggers its immediate
     # evaluation.
@@ -40,7 +48,7 @@ def test_iter():
         assert i == e
 
 
-@sn.sanity_function
+@sn.deferrable
 def _add(a, b):
     return a + b
 
@@ -57,7 +65,7 @@ def __init__(self):
             self._value = 0
 
         @property
-        @sn.sanity_function
+        @sn.deferrable
         def value(self):
             return self._value
 
diff --git a/unittests/test_logging.py b/unittests/test_logging.py
index caa374fb05..9256f4fd5f 100644
--- a/unittests/test_logging.py
+++ b/unittests/test_logging.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def fake_check():
     class _FakeCheck(rfm.RegressionTest):
         pass
 
-    @sn.sanity_function
+    @sn.deferrable
     def error():
         raise BaseException
 
diff --git a/unittests/test_pipeline.py b/unittests/test_pipeline.py
index 5bcdd385dc..cb62e3f4fe 100644
--- a/unittests/test_pipeline.py
+++ b/unittests/test_pipeline.py
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def test_hellocheck_build_remotely(hellotest, remote_exec_ctx):
 
 
 def test_hellocheck_local_prepost_run(hellotest, local_exec_ctx):
-    @sn.sanity_function
+    @sn.deferrable
     def stagedir(test):
         return test.stagedir
 
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ def test_performance_var_evaluation(dummytest, sanity_file,
     # `check_performance()`.
     logfile = 'perf.log'
 
-    @sn.sanity_function
+    @sn.deferrable
     def extract_perf(patt, tag):
         val = sn.evaluate(
             sn.extractsingle(patt, perf_file, tag, float)
diff --git a/unittests/test_sanity_functions.py b/unittests/test_sanity_functions.py
index d6c744bdb6..fae7e6dea2 100644
--- a/unittests/test_sanity_functions.py
+++ b/unittests/test_sanity_functions.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def __init__(self):
             self._b = 1
 
         @property
-        @sn.sanity_function
+        @sn.deferrable
         def a(self):
             return self._a