diff --git a/cmd/promtool/unittest.go b/cmd/promtool/unittest.go
index 4777b8809..6d6683a93 100644
--- a/cmd/promtool/unittest.go
+++ b/cmd/promtool/unittest.go
@@ -175,13 +175,18 @@ type testGroup struct {
 }
 
 // test performs the unit tests.
-func (tg *testGroup) test(evalInterval time.Duration, groupOrderMap map[string]int, queryOpts promql.LazyLoaderOpts, diffFlag bool, ruleFiles ...string) []error {
+func (tg *testGroup) test(evalInterval time.Duration, groupOrderMap map[string]int, queryOpts promql.LazyLoaderOpts, diffFlag bool, ruleFiles ...string) (outErr []error) {
 	// Setup testing suite.
-	suite, err := promql.NewLazyLoader(nil, tg.seriesLoadingString(), queryOpts)
+	suite, err := promql.NewLazyLoader(tg.seriesLoadingString(), queryOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return []error{err}
 	}
-	defer suite.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		err := suite.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			outErr = append(outErr, err)
+		}
+	}()
 	suite.SubqueryInterval = evalInterval
 
 	// Load the rule files.
diff --git a/promql/test.go b/promql/test.go
index 589b1e5b6..c45cfd8a5 100644
--- a/promql/test.go
+++ b/promql/test.go
@@ -704,8 +704,6 @@ func parseNumber(s string) (float64, error) {
 // LazyLoader lazily loads samples into storage.
 // This is specifically implemented for unit testing of rules.
 type LazyLoader struct {
-	testutil.T
-
 	loadCmd *loadCmd
 
 	storage          storage.Storage
@@ -727,13 +725,15 @@ type LazyLoaderOpts struct {
 }
 
 // NewLazyLoader returns an initialized empty LazyLoader.
-func NewLazyLoader(t testutil.T, input string, opts LazyLoaderOpts) (*LazyLoader, error) {
+func NewLazyLoader(input string, opts LazyLoaderOpts) (*LazyLoader, error) {
 	ll := &LazyLoader{
-		T:    t,
 		opts: opts,
 	}
 	err := ll.parse(input)
-	ll.clear()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	err = ll.clear()
 	return ll, err
 }
 
@@ -761,15 +761,20 @@ func (ll *LazyLoader) parse(input string) error {
 }
 
 // clear the current test storage of all inserted samples.
-func (ll *LazyLoader) clear() {
+func (ll *LazyLoader) clear() error {
 	if ll.storage != nil {
-		err := ll.storage.Close()
-		require.NoError(ll.T, err, "Unexpected error while closing test storage.")
+		if err := ll.storage.Close(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("closing test storage: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 	if ll.cancelCtx != nil {
 		ll.cancelCtx()
 	}
-	ll.storage = teststorage.New(ll)
+	var err error
+	ll.storage, err = teststorage.NewWithError()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	opts := EngineOpts{
 		Logger:                   nil,
@@ -783,6 +788,7 @@ func (ll *LazyLoader) clear() {
 
 	ll.queryEngine = NewEngine(opts)
 	ll.context, ll.cancelCtx = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	return nil
 }
 
 // appendTill appends the defined time series to the storage till the given timestamp (in milliseconds).
@@ -836,8 +842,7 @@ func (ll *LazyLoader) Storage() storage.Storage {
 }
 
 // Close closes resources associated with the LazyLoader.
-func (ll *LazyLoader) Close() {
+func (ll *LazyLoader) Close() error {
 	ll.cancelCtx()
-	err := ll.storage.Close()
-	require.NoError(ll.T, err, "Unexpected error while closing test storage.")
+	return ll.storage.Close()
 }
diff --git a/promql/test_test.go b/promql/test_test.go
index ee2a0e264..316c177d7 100644
--- a/promql/test_test.go
+++ b/promql/test_test.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func TestLazyLoader_WithSamplesTill(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, c := range cases {
-		suite, err := NewLazyLoader(t, c.loadString, LazyLoaderOpts{})
+		suite, err := NewLazyLoader(c.loadString, LazyLoaderOpts{})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		defer suite.Close()
 
diff --git a/util/teststorage/storage.go b/util/teststorage/storage.go
index 5d95437e9..7d1f9dda2 100644
--- a/util/teststorage/storage.go
+++ b/util/teststorage/storage.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 package teststorage
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
@@ -30,8 +31,18 @@ import (
 // New returns a new TestStorage for testing purposes
 // that removes all associated files on closing.
 func New(t testutil.T) *TestStorage {
+	stor, err := NewWithError()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return stor
+}
+
+// NewWithError returns a new TestStorage for user facing tests, which reports
+// errors directly.
+func NewWithError() (*TestStorage, error) {
 	dir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "test_storage")
-	require.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error while opening test directory")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening test directory: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	// Tests just load data for a series sequentially. Thus we
 	// need a long appendable window.
@@ -41,13 +52,17 @@ func New(t testutil.T) *TestStorage {
 	opts.RetentionDuration = 0
 	opts.EnableNativeHistograms = true
 	db, err := tsdb.Open(dir, nil, nil, opts, tsdb.NewDBStats())
-	require.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error while opening test storage")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening test storage: %w", err)
+	}
 	reg := prometheus.NewRegistry()
 	eMetrics := tsdb.NewExemplarMetrics(reg)
 
 	es, err := tsdb.NewCircularExemplarStorage(10, eMetrics)
-	require.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error while opening test exemplar storage")
-	return &TestStorage{DB: db, exemplarStorage: es, dir: dir}
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening test exemplar storage: %w", err)
+	}
+	return &TestStorage{DB: db, exemplarStorage: es, dir: dir}, nil
 }
 
 type TestStorage struct {