diff --git a/pkg/api/config_test.go b/pkg/api/config_test.go
index f691085983f5a..a2f7fd1378d50 100644
--- a/pkg/api/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/config_test.go
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/go-openapi/spec"
-
-	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/checker"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestParseSpecPaths(t *testing.T) {
@@ -110,9 +109,7 @@ func TestParseSpecPaths(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			got := parseSpecPaths(tc.paths)
-			if ok, msg := checker.DeepEqual(got, tc.expected); !ok {
-				t.Errorf("case %q failed:\n%s", tc.name, msg)
-			}
+			require.Equalf(t, tc.expected, got, "case %q failed", tc.name)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -179,12 +176,8 @@ func TestAllowedFlagsToDeniedPaths(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			got, err := generateDeniedAPIEndpoints(sampleFlags, tc.allowed)
-			if ok, msg := checker.DeepEqual(got, tc.expected); !ok {
-				t.Errorf("case %q failed:\n%s", tc.name, msg)
-			}
-			if ok, msg := checker.DeepEqual(errors.Unwrap(err), tc.expectedErr); !ok {
-				t.Errorf("case %q error mismatch:\n%s", tc.name, msg)
-			}
+			require.Equalf(t, tc.expected, got, "case %q failed", tc.name)
+			require.Equalf(t, tc.expectedErr, errors.Unwrap(err), "case %q failed", tc.name)
 		})
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/hubble/parser/sock/parser_test.go b/pkg/hubble/parser/sock/parser_test.go
index 4afdd02d28551..f22298a71d8ee 100644
--- a/pkg/hubble/parser/sock/parser_test.go
+++ b/pkg/hubble/parser/sock/parser_test.go
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	flowpb "github.com/cilium/cilium/api/v1/flow"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/byteorder"
 	cgroupManager "github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/cgroups/manager"
-	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/checker"
 	parserErrors "github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/hubble/parser/errors"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/hubble/parser/getters"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/hubble/testutils"
@@ -418,8 +418,7 @@ func TestDecodeSockEvent(t *testing.T) {
 				assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tc.errMsg)
 			} else {
 				assert.Nil(t, err)
-				ok, msg := checker.DeepEqual(flow, tc.flow)
-				assert.True(t, ok, msg)
+				require.EqualValues(t, tc.flow, flow)
 			}
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/policy/mapstate_test.go b/pkg/policy/mapstate_test.go
index 6b006375518b1..ba8850336294c 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/mapstate_test.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/mapstate_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
-	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/checker"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/identity"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/identity/cache"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/labels"
@@ -2013,7 +2012,7 @@ func TestMapState_AddVisibilityKeys(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		tt.ms.ForEach(func(k Key, v MapStateEntry) bool {
 			if v2, ok := old.Old[k]; ok {
-				if equals, _ := checker.DeepEqual(v2, v); !equals {
+				if !assert.ObjectsAreEqual(v2, v) {
 					if !v.DatapathEqual(&v2) {
 						wantAdds[k] = struct{}{}
 					}
diff --git a/test/runtime/fqdn.go b/test/runtime/fqdn.go
index 6b9730cbd4343..ef2026826d23b 100644
--- a/test/runtime/fqdn.go
+++ b/test/runtime/fqdn.go
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/api/v1/models"
-	"github.com/cilium/cilium/pkg/checker"
 	. "github.com/cilium/cilium/test/ginkgo-ext"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/test/helpers"
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium/test/helpers/constants"
@@ -1125,8 +1125,8 @@ var _ = Describe("RuntimeAgentFQDNPolicies", func() {
 		ipcacheAfter, err := vm.BpfIPCacheList(true)
 		Expect(err).To(BeNil(), "ipcache can not be dumped")
 		GinkgoPrint(fmt.Sprintf("Local scope identities in IP cache after Cilium restart: %v", ipcacheAfter))
-		equal, diff := checker.DeepEqual(ipcacheBefore, ipcacheAfter)
-		Expect(equal).To(BeTrue(), "CIDR identities were not restored correctly: %s", diff)
+		equal := assert.ObjectsAreEqualValues(ipcacheBefore, ipcacheAfter)
+		Expect(equal).To(BeTrue(), "CIDR identities were not restored correctly")
 
 		// Reapply FQDN policy and check that selectors still have same ids
 		_, err = vm.PolicyRenderAndImport(policy)
@@ -1141,8 +1141,9 @@ var _ = Describe("RuntimeAgentFQDNPolicies", func() {
 		By("Dumping IP cache after the DNS policy is imported after restart")
 		ipcacheAfterDNSPolicy, err := vm.BpfIPCacheList(true)
 		Expect(err).To(BeNil(), "ipcache can not be dumped")
-		equal, diff = checker.DeepEqual(ipcacheBefore, ipcacheAfterDNSPolicy)
-		Expect(equal).To(BeTrue(), "CIDR identities changed after policy import: %s", diff)
+		equal = assert.ObjectsAreEqualValues(ipcacheBefore, ipcacheAfterDNSPolicy)
+		Expect(equal).To(BeTrue(), "CIDR identities changed after policy import")
+
 		GinkgoPrint(fmt.Sprintf("Local scope identities in IP cache after re-import of DNS policy: %v", ipcacheAfterDNSPolicy))
 
 	})