diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index cc7e6101d3..d0b9e04b87 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
         "no-script-url": "error",
         "no-self-compare": "error",
         "no-sync": "error",
+        "no-throw-literal": "error",
         "no-undef-init": "error",
         "no-unneeded-ternary": ["error", {"defaultAssignment": false}],
         "no-unused-expressions": "error",
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_fetch.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_fetch.js
index 2c1d5db67b..b585e79e10 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_fetch.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_fetch.js
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function config_fake_channel(conf) {
 
     channel.get = function (opts) {
         if (called && !conf.can_call_again) {
-            throw "only use this for one call";
+            throw new Error("only use this for one call");
         }
         if (!conf.can_call_again) {
             assert(self.success === undefined);
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/transmit.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/transmit.js
index 0508e0f3b9..1593fb8a2e 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/transmit.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/transmit.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ run_test("transmit_message_ajax", () => {
 
 run_test("transmit_message_ajax_reload_pending", () => {
     const success = function () {
-        throw "unexpected success";
+        throw new Error("unexpected success");
     };
 
     reload_state.is_pending = function () {
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/util.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/util.js
index 89e6a2527d..f0f57b875c 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/util.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/util.js
@@ -107,12 +107,12 @@ run_test("robust_uri_decode", () => {
     assert.equal(util.robust_uri_decode("xxx%3"), "xxx");
 
     set_global("decodeURIComponent", () => {
-        throw "foo";
+        throw new Error("foo");
     });
     try {
         util.robust_uri_decode("%E0%A4%A");
     } catch (error) {
-        assert.equal(error, "foo");
+        assert.equal(error.message, "foo");
     }
 });
 
diff --git a/frontend_tests/zjsunit/index.js b/frontend_tests/zjsunit/index.js
index 662730b75a..5d9f4c4d2a 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/zjsunit/index.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/zjsunit/index.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function immediate(f) {
 // Find the files we need to run.
 const files = process.argv.slice(2);
 if (files.length === 0) {
-    throw "No tests found";
+    throw new Error("No tests found");
 }
 
 // Set up our namespace helpers.