diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/30_internal_version.yaml b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/30_internal_version.yaml
index e4cbc443055..e220d988161 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/30_internal_version.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/30_internal_version.yaml
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@
       reason: validation logic only fixed from 5.1.2 onwards
 
  - do:
+      catch: request
       create:
           index:          test
           type:           test
           id:             3
           body:           { foo: bar }
           version:        5
-          ignore:         400
 
  - match: { status: 400 }
  - match: { error.type: action_request_validation_exception }
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/35_external_version.yaml b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/35_external_version.yaml
index 96503aae8ae..e29690fe8d0 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/35_external_version.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/create/35_external_version.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
       reason: validation logic only fixed from 5.1.2 onwards
 
  - do:
+      catch:              request
       create:
           index:          test
           type:           test
@@ -13,13 +14,13 @@
           body:           { foo: bar }
           version_type:   external
           version:        0
-          ignore:         400
 
  - match: { status: 400 }
  - match: { error.type: action_request_validation_exception }
  - match: { error.reason: "Validation Failed: 1: create operations only support internal versioning. use index instead;" }
 
  - do:
+      catch:              request
       create:
           index:          test
           type:           test
@@ -27,7 +28,6 @@
           body:           { foo: bar }
           version_type:   external
           version:        5
-          ignore:         400
 
  - match: { status: 400 }
  - match: { error.type: action_request_validation_exception }
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.stats/10_index.yaml b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.stats/10_index.yaml
index d3f4134c0f6..b7724e06283 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.stats/10_index.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.stats/10_index.yaml
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ setup:
       version: " - 5.0.99"
       reason: strict stats handling does not exist in 5.0
   - do:
+      catch: request
       indices.stats:
         metric: [ fieldata ]
-        ignore: 400
 
   - match: { status: 400 }
   - match: { error.type: illegal_argument_exception }
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/nodes.stats/10_basic.yaml b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/nodes.stats/10_basic.yaml
index 039a24284ea..62664319d8a 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/nodes.stats/10_basic.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/nodes.stats/10_basic.yaml
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@
       version: " - 5.0.99"
       reason: strict stats handling does not exist in 5.0
   - do:
+      catch: request
       nodes.stats:
         metric: [ transprot ]
-        ignore: 400
 
   - match: { status: 400 }
   - match: { error.type: illegal_argument_exception }