diff --git a/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py b/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py
index 1a0b92fece5b1fa8c0178d09f85e9a7169783c4b..ed4bb0fa4e530fed376149af7305c0b1967d608f 100644
--- a/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py
+++ b/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py
@@ -150,7 +150,6 @@ def parse_config(
 
 
 def validate_hdf5_files(
-    test_key: str,
     out_folder: pathlib.Path,
     reference_folder: pathlib.Path,
     cal_type: str,
@@ -318,12 +317,9 @@ def test_xfel_calibrate(test_key: str, val_dict: dict, release_test_config: Tupl
     cmd = parse_config(cmd, cal_conf, out_folder)
 
     if only_validate:
-        validate_hdf5_files(
-            test_key,
-            out_folder,
-            reference_folder,
-            cal_type,
-        )
+        assert validate_hdf5_files(
+            out_folder,  reference_folder, cal_type
+        ), "HDF5 files changed - see details above"
         return
 
     if not use_slurm:  # e.g. for Gitlab CI.
@@ -361,8 +357,5 @@ def test_xfel_calibrate(test_key: str, val_dict: dict, release_test_config: Tupl
     # Stop tests at this point, if desired.
     if not skip_numerical_validation:
         assert validate_hdf5_files(
-            test_key,
-            out_folder,
-            reference_folder,
-            cal_type,
+            out_folder,  reference_folder, cal_type
         ), "HDF5 files changed - see details above"