diff --git a/swh/journal/replay.py b/swh/journal/replay.py
--- a/swh/journal/replay.py
+++ b/swh/journal/replay.py
@@ -235,8 +235,7 @@
 
 
 def _fix_origin_visit(visit: Dict) -> OriginVisit:
-    """Adapt origin visits into a list of current storage compatible
-       OriginVisits.
+    """Adapt origin visit into current storage compatible OriginVisit.
 
     `visit['origin']` is a dict instead of an URL:
 
@@ -272,6 +271,28 @@
      'status': 'ongoing',
      'type': 'hg'}
 
+    Old visit format (origin_visit with no type) raises:
+
+    >>> _fix_origin_visit({
+    ...     'origin': {'url': 'http://foo'},
+    ...     'date': date,
+    ...     'status': 'ongoing',
+    ...     'snapshot': None
+    ... })
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+    ...
+    ValueError: Old origin visit format detected...
+
+    >>> _fix_origin_visit({
+    ...     'origin': 'http://foo',
+    ...     'date': date,
+    ...     'status': 'ongoing',
+    ...     'snapshot': None
+    ... })
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+    ...
+    ValueError: Old origin visit format detected...
+
     """  # noqa
     visit = visit.copy()
     if 'type' not in visit:
@@ -280,9 +301,12 @@
             # but their 'origin' field was a dict with a 'type' key.
             visit['type'] = visit['origin']['type']
         else:
-            # Very very old version of the schema: 'type' is missing,
-            # so there is nothing we can do to fix it.
-            raise ValueError('Got an origin_visit too old to be replayed.')
+            # Very old schema version: 'type' is missing, stop early
+
+            # We expect the journal's origin_visit topic to no longer reference
+            # such visits. If it does, the replayer must crash so we can fix
+            # the journal's topic.
+            raise ValueError(f'Old origin visit format detected: {visit}')
     if isinstance(visit['origin'], dict):
         # Old version of the schema: visit['origin'] was a dict.
         visit['origin'] = visit['origin']['url']
@@ -356,8 +380,13 @@
                 revisions.append(rev)
         storage.revision_add(revisions)
     elif object_type == 'origin_visit':
-        visits = [_fix_origin_visit(v) for v in objects]
-        storage.origin_add(Origin(url=v.origin) for v in visits)
+        visits: List[OriginVisit] = []
+        origins: List[Origin] = []
+        for obj in objects:
+            visit = _fix_origin_visit(obj)
+            visits.append(visit)
+            origins.append(Origin(url=visit.origin))
+        storage.origin_add(origins)
         storage.origin_visit_upsert(visits)
     elif object_type in ('directory', 'release', 'snapshot', 'origin'):
         method = getattr(storage, object_type + '_add')
diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py b/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@
 import logging
 import random
 from subprocess import Popen
-from typing import Dict, Tuple
+from typing import Dict, List, Tuple
 
 import dateutil
+import pytest
+
 from confluent_kafka import Producer
 from hypothesis import strategies, given, settings
-import pytest
 
 from swh.storage import get_storage
 
@@ -276,7 +277,7 @@
         assert expected_content_hashes in actual_colliding_hashes
 
 
-def _test_write_replay_origin_visit(visits):
+def _test_write_replay_origin_visit(visits: List[Dict]):
     """Helper function to write tests for origin_visit.
 
     Each visit (a dict) given in the 'visits' argument will be sent to
@@ -284,10 +285,10 @@
     listening to.
 
     Check that corresponding origin visits entities are present in the storage
-    and have correct values.
+    and have correct values if they are not skipped.
 
     """
-    queue = []
+    queue: List = []
     replayer = MockedJournalClient(queue)
     writer = MockedKafkaWriter(queue)
 
@@ -339,17 +340,33 @@
 
 
 def test_write_replay_legacy_origin_visit1():
-    """Test origin_visit when there is no type."""
+    """Origin_visit with no types should make the replayer crash
+
+    We expect the journal's origin_visit topic to no longer reference such
+    visits. If it does, the replayer must crash so we can fix the journal's
+    topic.
+
+    """
     now = datetime.datetime.now()
-    visits = [{
+    visit = {
         'visit': 1,
         'origin': 'http://example.com/',
         'date': now,
         'status': 'partial',
         'snapshot': None,
-    }]
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match='too old'):
-        _test_write_replay_origin_visit(visits)
+    }
+    now2 = datetime.datetime.now()
+    visit2 = {
+        'visit': 2,
+        'origin': {'url': 'http://example.com/'},
+        'date': now2,
+        'status': 'partial',
+        'snapshot': None,
+    }
+
+    for origin_visit in [visit, visit2]:
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match='Old origin visit format'):
+            _test_write_replay_origin_visit([origin_visit])
 
 
 def test_write_replay_legacy_origin_visit2():