diff --git a/pkg/vm/stack/int_test.go b/pkg/vm/stack/int_test.go
index 46a2c302e..07fee3958 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/stack/int_test.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/stack/int_test.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func TestByteArrConversion(t *testing.T) {
 	ba, err := a.ByteArray()
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, num, testReadInt64(ba.val))
+	assert.Equal(t, num, testReadInt64(t, ba.val))
 
 	have, err := ba.Integer()
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
diff --git a/pkg/vm/stack/test_helper.go b/pkg/vm/stack/test_helper.go
index 56a5ff89d..ba497cffc 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/stack/test_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/stack/test_helper.go
@@ -36,14 +36,15 @@ func testMakeStackInt(t *testing.T, num int64) *Int {
 	return a
 }
 
-func testReadInt64(data []byte) int64 {
+func testReadInt64(t *testing.T, data []byte) int64 {
 	var ret int64
 	var arr [8]byte
 
 	// expands or shrinks data automatically
 	copy(arr[:], data)
 	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(arr[:])
-	binary.Read(buf, binary.LittleEndian, &ret)
+	err := binary.Read(buf, binary.LittleEndian, &ret)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	return ret
 }