diff --git a/docs/api/assert/rejects.md b/docs/api/assert/rejects.md
index bd8834538..ae056f3da 100644
--- a/docs/api/assert/rejects.md
+++ b/docs/api/assert/rejects.md
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ version_added: "2.5.0"
 ---
 
 `rejects( promise, message = "" )`<br>
-`rejects( promise, expectedMatcher, message = "" )`
+`rejects( promise, expectedMatcher, message = "" )`<br>
+`rejectionValue = await rejects( promise, message = "" )`
 
 Test if the provided promise rejects, and optionally compare the rejection value.
 
@@ -34,6 +35,10 @@ The `expectedMatcher` argument can be:
 
 Note: in order to avoid confusion between the `message` and the `expectedMatcher`, the `expectedMatcher` **can not** be a string.
 
+`assert.rejects()` returns a promise which is resolved with the rejection value from the provided
+promise. This can be used instead of `expectedMatcher` to assert other facts about the expected
+failure.
+
 ## See also
 
 * Use [`assert.throws()`](./throws.md) for synchronous errors.
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ QUnit.test('example', async function (assert) {
 ### Example: Matcher argument
 
 ```js
-QUnit.test('rejects example', function (assert) {
+QUnit.test('rejects example', async function (assert) {
   // simple check
   assert.rejects(Promise.reject('some error'));
 
@@ -113,6 +118,13 @@ QUnit.test('rejects example', function (assert) {
       return err.toString() === 'some error';
     }
   );
+
+  // custom validation using return value
+  const err = await assert.rejects(
+    Promise.reject(new CustomError('some error'))
+  );
+  assert.true(err instanceof CustomError);
+  assert.strictEqual(err.toString(), 'some error');
 });
 ```
 
@@ -181,17 +193,12 @@ QUnit.test('BAD example', function (assert) {
 });
 ```
 
-If you want to perform additional assertions after a failure, consider performing these directly in your test function, after `assert.rejects()`:
+If you want to perform additional assertions after a failure, consider performing these directly in your test function, after `await assert.rejects()`:
 
 ```js
 QUnit.test('example', async function (assert) {
   const p = feedMe();
-  await assert.rejects(p, RangeError);
-
-  try {
-    await p;
-  } catch (e) {
-    assert.deepEqual(e.somedata, { foo: 'bar' });
-  }
+  const e = await assert.rejects(p, RangeError);
+  assert.deepEqual(e.somedata, { foo: 'bar' });
 });
 ```
diff --git a/docs/api/assert/throws.md b/docs/api/assert/throws.md
index a1eed5bb9..bd4530214 100644
--- a/docs/api/assert/throws.md
+++ b/docs/api/assert/throws.md
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ version_added: "1.0.0"
 ---
 
 `throws( blockFn, message = "" )`<br>
-`throws( blockFn, expectedMatcher, message = "" )`
+`throws( blockFn, expectedMatcher, message = "" )`<br>
+`thrownValue = throws( blockFn, message = "" )`
 
 Test if a callback throws an exception, and optionally compare the thrown error.
 
@@ -31,6 +32,10 @@ The `expectedMatcher` argument can be:
 * A RegExp that matches (or partially matches) the string representation.
 * A callback with your own custom validation, that returns `true` or `false`.
 
+`assert.throws()` returns the value which was thrown from the provided
+function. This can be used instead of `expectedMatcher` to assert other facts about the expected
+failure.
+
 <p class="note" markdown="1">If you need to comply with classic ES3 syntax, such as in early versions of Closure Compiler, you can use `assert.raises()`, which is an alias for `assert.throws()`. It has the same signature and behaviour.</p>
 
 ## Changelog
@@ -110,5 +115,12 @@ QUnit.test('throws example', function (assert) {
       return err.toString() === 'some error';
     }
   );
+
+  // custom validation using return value
+  const err = assert.throws(function () {
+    throw new CustomError('some error');
+  });
+  assert.true(err instanceof CustomError);
+  assert.strictEqual(err.toString(), 'some error');
 });
 ```
diff --git a/src/core/assert.js b/src/core/assert.js
index 65bc75222..5361c9f30 100644
--- a/src/core/assert.js
+++ b/src/core/assert.js
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@ class Assert {
       expected,
       message
     });
+
+    return actual;
   }
 
   rejects (promise, expected, message) {
@@ -355,6 +357,8 @@ class Assert {
           message
         });
         done();
+
+        return actual;
       }
     );
   }
diff --git a/test/main/assert.js b/test/main/assert.js
index d28ff5f65..5a66f1cef 100644
--- a/test/main/assert.js
+++ b/test/main/assert.js
@@ -10,14 +10,20 @@ function buildMockPromise (settledValue, shouldFulfill) {
 
   var thenable = {
     then: function (fulfilledCallback, rejectedCallback) {
+      var resolve = function () {};
       defer(function () {
-        return shouldFulfill
+        resolve(shouldFulfill
           ? fulfilledCallback.call(thenable, settledValue)
-          : rejectedCallback.call(thenable, settledValue);
+          : rejectedCallback.call(thenable, settledValue));
       });
 
       // returning another thenable for easy confirmation of return value
-      return buildMockPromise('final promise', true);
+      // (very incomplete implementation, this is enough for the one test that needs it)
+      return {
+        then: function (fulfilledCallback) {
+          resolve = fulfilledCallback;
+        }
+      };
     }
   };
   return thenable;
@@ -567,6 +573,18 @@ QUnit.test('throws', function (assert) {
     /^Error: Invalid expected value type \(array\) provided to assert\.throws\.$/,
     'throws errors when provided an array'
   );
+
+  // return value tests
+  var returnValue = assert.throws(
+    function () {
+      throw 'my error';
+    }
+  );
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    returnValue,
+    'my error',
+    'throws returns the error value'
+  );
 });
 
 QUnit.test('raises', function (assert) {
@@ -582,16 +600,6 @@ QUnit.test('rejects', function (assert) {
     return this.message;
   };
 
-  var rejectsReturnValue = assert.rejects(
-    buildMockPromise('my error')
-  );
-
-  assert.equal(
-    typeof rejectsReturnValue.then,
-    'function',
-    'rejects returns a thennable'
-  );
-
   assert.rejects(
     buildMockPromise('my error'),
     "simple string rejection, no 'expected' value given"
@@ -743,12 +751,30 @@ QUnit.test('rejects', function (assert) {
     'rejects errors when provided a string'
   );
 
-  // should return a thenable
+  // return value tests
+  var done = assert.async();
   var returnValue = assert.rejects(
-    buildMockPromise(undefined)
+    buildMockPromise('my error')
   );
-  assert.strictEqual(typeof returnValue, 'object');
-  assert.strictEqual(typeof returnValue.then, 'function');
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    typeof returnValue.then,
+    'function',
+    'rejects returns a thenable'
+  );
+  returnValue.then(function (error) {
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      error,
+      'my error',
+      'returned thenable resolves with the rejection value'
+    );
+    done();
+  }, function () {
+    assert.ok(
+      false,
+      'returned thenable does not reject'
+    );
+    done();
+  });
 });
 
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