diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/RepositoriesIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/RepositoriesIT.java
index 980912ecb6d..48a1cc6081e 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/RepositoriesIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/RepositoriesIT.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertAcked;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertThrows;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.either;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.notNullValue;
 
@@ -153,8 +154,9 @@ public class RepositoriesIT extends AbstractSnapshotIntegTestCase {
                     .get();
             fail("Shouldn't be here");
         } catch (RepositoryException ex) {
-            assertThat(ex.toString(), containsString("Unable to parse URL repository setting"));
-            assertThat(ex.toString(), containsString("netdoc"));
+            assertThat(ex.toString(),
+                either(containsString("unsupported url protocol [netdoc]"))
+                    .or(containsString("unknown protocol: netdoc"))); // newer versions of JDK 9
         }
 
         logger.info("--> trying creating url repository with location that is not registered in path.repo setting");