diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/AbstractContractDeleteTest.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/AbstractContractDeleteTest.java
index 328c8e1377..08df1d4d88 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/AbstractContractDeleteTest.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/AbstractContractDeleteTest.java
@@ -49,18 +49,17 @@ public void testDeleteNonexistentPathRecursive() throws Throwable {
     Path path = path("testDeleteNonexistentPathRecursive");
     assertPathDoesNotExist("leftover", path);
     ContractTestUtils.rejectRootOperation(path);
-    assertFalse("Returned true attempting to delete"
+    assertFalse("Returned true attempting to recursively delete"
                 + " a nonexistent path " + path,
-                getFileSystem().delete(path, false));
+                getFileSystem().delete(path, true));
   }
 
-
   @Test
   public void testDeleteNonexistentPathNonRecursive() throws Throwable {
     Path path = path("testDeleteNonexistentPathNonRecursive");
     assertPathDoesNotExist("leftover", path);
     ContractTestUtils.rejectRootOperation(path);
-    assertFalse("Returned true attempting to recursively delete"
+    assertFalse("Returned true attempting to non recursively delete"
                 + " a nonexistent path " + path,
                 getFileSystem().delete(path, false));
   }