diff --git a/tests/controls/radiobuttontest.cpp b/tests/controls/radiobuttontest.cpp
index 535cc17e25..88a53d9438 100644
--- a/tests/controls/radiobuttontest.cpp
+++ b/tests/controls/radiobuttontest.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "wx/uiaction.h"
 #include "testableframe.h"
+#include "testwindow.h"
 
 class RadioButtonTestCase : public CppUnit::TestCase
 {
@@ -229,7 +230,7 @@ TEST_CASE("wxRadioButton::Focus", "[radiobutton][focus]")
     // Initially the first radio button should be checked.
     radio1->SetFocus();
     CHECK(radio1->GetValue());
-    CHECK(wxWindow::FindFocus() == radio1);
+    CHECK_FOCUS_IS(radio1);
 
     // Switching focus from it shouldn't change this.
     dummyButton->SetFocus();
@@ -242,12 +243,12 @@ TEST_CASE("wxRadioButton::Focus", "[radiobutton][focus]")
     CHECK(radio2->GetValue());
 
     // While not changing focus.
-    CHECK(wxWindow::FindFocus() == dummyButton);
+    CHECK_FOCUS_IS(dummyButton);
 
     // And giving the focus to the panel shouldn't change radio button
     // selection.
     radioPanel->SetFocus();
-    CHECK(wxWindow::FindFocus() == radio2);
+    CHECK_FOCUS_IS(radio2);
     CHECK(!radio1->GetValue());
     CHECK(radio2->GetValue());
 }
diff --git a/tests/controls/searchctrltest.cpp b/tests/controls/searchctrltest.cpp
index 31dc748322..5620363172 100644
--- a/tests/controls/searchctrltest.cpp
+++ b/tests/controls/searchctrltest.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 
 #include "wx/srchctrl.h"
 
+#include "testwindow.h"
+
 class SearchCtrlTestCase
 {
 public:
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ protected:
 SEARCH_CTRL_TEST_CASE("wxSearchCtrl::Focus", "[wxSearchCtrl][focus]")
 {
     m_search->SetFocus();
-    CHECK( m_search->HasFocus() );
+    CHECK_FOCUS_IS( m_search );
 }
 #endif // !__WXOSX__
 
diff --git a/tests/controls/styledtextctrltest.cpp b/tests/controls/styledtextctrltest.cpp
index 63c8610cb6..057b120fc5 100644
--- a/tests/controls/styledtextctrltest.cpp
+++ b/tests/controls/styledtextctrltest.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include "wx/stc/stc.h"
 #include "wx/uiaction.h"
 
+#include "testwindow.h"
+
 #if defined(__WXOSX_COCOA__) || defined(__WXMSW__) || defined(__WXGTK__)
 
 class StcPopupWindowsTestCase
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(StcPopupWindowsTestCase,
     if ( m_stc->AutoCompActive() )
         m_stc->AutoCompCancel();
 
-    CHECK( m_stc->HasFocus() );
+    CHECK_FOCUS_IS( m_stc );
     CHECK( m_focusAlwaysRetained );
 }
 
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(StcPopupWindowsTestCase,
         m_stc->CallTipCancel();
 
     // Verify that clicking the call tip did not take focus from the STC.
-    CHECK( m_stc->HasFocus() );
+    CHECK_FOCUS_IS( m_stc );
     CHECK( m_focusAlwaysRetained );
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/controls/windowtest.cpp b/tests/controls/windowtest.cpp
index 02541ef08f..1ee147b377 100644
--- a/tests/controls/windowtest.cpp
+++ b/tests/controls/windowtest.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 #include "asserthelper.h"
 #include "testableframe.h"
+#include "testwindow.h"
+
 #include "wx/uiaction.h"
 #include "wx/caret.h"
 #include "wx/cshelp.h"
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ void WindowTestCase::FocusEvent()
     m_window->SetFocus();
 
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT(setfocus.WaitEvent(500));
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(m_window->HasFocus());
+    CHECK_FOCUS_IS( m_window );
 
     wxButton* button = new wxButton(wxTheApp->GetTopWindow(), wxID_ANY);
 
@@ -298,7 +300,7 @@ void WindowTestCase::Focus()
     if ( m_window->AcceptsFocus() )
     {
         m_window->SetFocus();
-        CPPUNIT_ASSERT(m_window->HasFocus());
+        CHECK_FOCUS_IS(m_window);
     }
 
     //Set the focus back to the main window
@@ -307,7 +309,7 @@ void WindowTestCase::Focus()
     if ( m_window->AcceptsFocusFromKeyboard() )
     {
         m_window->SetFocusFromKbd();
-        CPPUNIT_ASSERT(m_window->HasFocus());
+        CHECK_FOCUS_IS(m_window);
     }
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/tests/testwindow.h b/tests/testwindow.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..64b455b261
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testwindow.h
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Name:        tests/testwindow.h
+// Purpose:     Unit test helper for comparing wxWindow pointers.
+// Author:      Vadim Zeitlin
+// Copyright:   (c) 2019 Vadim Zeitlin <vadim@wxwidgets.org>
+// Licence:     wxWindows licence
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifndef _WX_TESTS_TESTWINDOW_H_
+#define _WX_TESTS_TESTWINDOW_H_
+
+#include "wx/window.h"
+
+// We need to wrap wxWindow* in a class as specializing StringMaker for
+// wxWindow* doesn't seem to work.
+class wxWindowPtr
+{
+public:
+    explicit wxWindowPtr(wxWindow* win) : m_win(win) {}
+
+    wxString Dump() const
+    {
+        if ( !m_win )
+            return "(no window)";
+
+        wxString s = m_win->GetClassInfo()->GetClassName();
+        const wxString& label = m_win->GetLabel();
+        if ( !label.empty() )
+        {
+            s += wxString::Format(" (label=\"%s\")", label);
+        }
+
+        return s;
+    }
+
+private:
+    friend bool operator==(wxWindowPtr wp1, wxWindowPtr wp2)
+    {
+        return wp1.m_win == wp2.m_win;
+    }
+
+    wxWindow* const m_win;
+};
+
+// Macro providing more information about the current focus if comparison
+// fails.
+#define CHECK_FOCUS_IS(w) CHECK(wxWindowPtr(wxWindow::FindFocus()) == wxWindowPtr(w))
+
+namespace Catch
+{
+    template <>
+    struct StringMaker<wxWindowPtr>
+    {
+        static std::string convert(const wxWindowPtr window)
+        {
+            return window.Dump().ToStdString();
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+#endif // _WX_TESTS_TESTWINDOW_H_