diff --git a/libbeat/outputs/kafka/kafka_integration_test.go b/libbeat/outputs/kafka/kafka_integration_test.go
index 349fd82fc7f..8596dbd605d 100644
--- a/libbeat/outputs/kafka/kafka_integration_test.go
+++ b/libbeat/outputs/kafka/kafka_integration_test.go
@@ -266,7 +266,10 @@ func TestKafkaPublish(t *testing.T) {
 
 		cfg := makeConfig(t, defaultConfig)
 		if test.config != nil {
-			cfg.Merge(makeConfig(t, test.config))
+			err := cfg.Merge(makeConfig(t, test.config))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -275,7 +278,8 @@ func TestKafkaPublish(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
-			output := grp.Clients[0].(*client)
+			output, ok := grp.Clients[0].(*client)
+			assert.True(t, ok, "grp.Clients[0] didn't contain a ptr to client")
 			if err := output.Connect(); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
@@ -291,7 +295,10 @@ func TestKafkaPublish(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 
 				wg.Add(1)
-				output.Publish(context.Background(), batch)
+				err := output.Publish(context.Background(), batch)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
 			}
 
 			// wait for all published batches to be ACKed
@@ -347,7 +354,8 @@ func validateJSON(t *testing.T, value []byte, events []beat.Event) string {
 		return ""
 	}
 
-	msg := decoded["message"].(string)
+	msg, ok := decoded["message"].(string)
+	assert.True(t, ok, "type of decoded message was not string")
 	event := findEvent(events, msg)
 	if event == nil {
 		t.Errorf("could not find expected event with message: %v", msg)