diff --git a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueue.java b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueue.java
index 2a58ab1e0a..3fbaf1bb73 100644
--- a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueue.java
+++ b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueue.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class WriteQueue {
    */
   ChannelFuture enqueue(QueuedCommand command, ChannelPromise promise, boolean flush) {
     // Detect erroneous code that tries to reuse command objects.
-    Preconditions.checkNotNull(command.promise() == null, "promise must not be set on command");
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(command.promise() == null, "promise must not be set on command");
 
     command.promise(promise);
     queue.add(command);
diff --git a/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueueTest.java b/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueueTest.java
index 8b460cc9df..696072c06f 100644
--- a/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueueTest.java
+++ b/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/WriteQueueTest.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ package io.grpc.netty;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.eq;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.isA;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -65,9 +67,6 @@ public class WriteQueueTest {
   @Mock
   public ChannelPromise promise;
 
-  private QueuedCommand command = new WriteQueue.AbstractQueuedCommand() {
-  };
-
   private long flushCalledNanos;
   private long writeCalledNanos;
 
@@ -102,24 +101,25 @@ public class WriteQueueTest {
       }
     });
 
-    when(channel.write(command, promise)).thenAnswer(new Answer<ChannelFuture>() {
-      @Override
-      public ChannelFuture answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) throws Throwable {
-        writeCalledNanos = System.nanoTime();
-        if (writeCalledNanos == flushCalledNanos) {
-          writeCalledNanos += 1;
-        }
-        return promise;
-      }
-    });
+    when(channel.write(any(QueuedCommand.class), eq(promise))).thenAnswer(
+        new Answer<ChannelFuture>() {
+          @Override
+          public ChannelFuture answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) throws Throwable {
+            writeCalledNanos = System.nanoTime();
+            if (writeCalledNanos == flushCalledNanos) {
+              writeCalledNanos += 1;
+            }
+            return promise;
+          }
+        });
   }
 
   @Test
   public void singleWriteShouldWork() {
     WriteQueue queue = new WriteQueue(channel);
-    queue.enqueue(command, true);
+    queue.enqueue(new CuteCommand(), true);
 
-    verify(channel).write(command, promise);
+    verify(channel).write(isA(QueuedCommand.class), eq(promise));
     verify(channel).flush();
   }
 
@@ -127,11 +127,11 @@ public class WriteQueueTest {
   public void multipleWritesShouldBeBatched() {
     WriteQueue queue = new WriteQueue(channel);
     for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-      queue.enqueue(command, false);
+      queue.enqueue(new CuteCommand(), false);
     }
     queue.scheduleFlush();
 
-    verify(channel, times(5)).write(command, promise);
+    verify(channel, times(5)).write(isA(QueuedCommand.class), eq(promise));
     verify(channel).flush();
   }
 
@@ -140,11 +140,11 @@ public class WriteQueueTest {
     WriteQueue queue = new WriteQueue(channel);
     int writes = WriteQueue.DEQUE_CHUNK_SIZE + 10;
     for (int i = 0; i < writes; i++) {
-      queue.enqueue(command, false);
+      queue.enqueue(new CuteCommand(), false);
     }
     queue.scheduleFlush();
 
-    verify(channel, times(writes)).write(command, promise);
+    verify(channel, times(writes)).write(isA(QueuedCommand.class), eq(promise));
     verify(channel, times(2)).flush();
   }
 
@@ -195,12 +195,16 @@ public class WriteQueueTest {
     flusherStarted.await();
     int writes = 10 * WriteQueue.DEQUE_CHUNK_SIZE;
     for (int i = 0; i < writes; i++) {
-      queue.enqueue(command, false);
+      queue.enqueue(new CuteCommand(), false);
     }
     doneWriting.set(true);
     flusher.join();
 
     exHandler.checkException();
-    verify(channel, times(writes)).write(command, promise);
+    verify(channel, times(writes)).write(isA(CuteCommand.class), eq(promise));
+  }
+
+  static class CuteCommand extends WriteQueue.AbstractQueuedCommand {
+
   }
 }