diff --git a/ethers/providers/jsonrpc.nim b/ethers/providers/jsonrpc.nim
index 9419224..4083364 100644
--- a/ethers/providers/jsonrpc.nim
+++ b/ethers/providers/jsonrpc.nim
@@ -28,7 +28,12 @@ type
   JsonRpcProviderError* = object of EthersError
   SubscriptionHandler = proc(id, arguments: JsonNode): Future[void] {.gcsafe, upraises:[].}
 
-template raiseProviderError(message: string) =
+proc raiseProviderError(message: string) {.upraises: [JsonRpcProviderError].} =
+  var message = message
+  try:
+    message = parseJson(message){"message"}.getStr
+  except Exception:
+    discard
   raise newException(JsonRpcProviderError, message)
 
 template convertError(body) =
diff --git a/ethers/testing.nim b/ethers/testing.nim
index 30631c0..cc8674c 100644
--- a/ethers/testing.nim
+++ b/ethers/testing.nim
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ import pkg/ethers
 
 proc revertReason*(e: ref JsonRpcProviderError): string =
   try:
-    let json = parseJson(e.msg)
-    var msg = json{"message"}.getStr
+    var msg = e.msg
     const revertPrefixes = @[
       # hardhat
       "Error: VM Exception while processing transaction: reverted with " &
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ proc reverts*[T](call: Future[T]): Future[bool] {.async.} =
       discard await call # TODO test this
     return false
   except JsonRpcProviderError:
-    return true # TODO: check that error started with revert prefix
+    return true
 
 proc reverts*[T](call: Future[T], reason: string): Future[bool] {.async.} =
   try:
diff --git a/testmodule/testTesting.nim b/testmodule/testTesting.nim
index 3aa9a6d..2af51c4 100644
--- a/testmodule/testTesting.nim
+++ b/testmodule/testTesting.nim
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import std/json
 import std/strformat
 import pkg/asynctest
 import pkg/chronos
@@ -9,10 +8,8 @@ import ./hardhat
 suite "Testing helpers":
 
   let revertReason = "revert reason"
-  let rpcResponse = %* {
-    "message": "Error: VM Exception while processing transaction: " &
-               fmt"reverted with reason string '{revertReason}'"
-  }
+  let rpcResponse = "Error: VM Exception while processing transaction: " &
+                    fmt"reverted with reason string '{revertReason}'"
 
   test "checks that call reverts":
     proc call() {.async.} =
@@ -58,9 +55,8 @@ suite "Testing helpers":
 
   test "revert handles non-standard revert prefix":
     let nonStdMsg = fmt"Provider VM Exception: reverted with {revertReason}"
-    let nonStdRpcResponse = %* { "message": nonStdMsg }
     proc call() {.async.} =
-      raise newException(JsonRpcProviderError, $nonStdRpcResponse)
+      raise newException(JsonRpcProviderError, nonStdMsg)
 
     check await call().reverts(nonStdMsg)