diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py b/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@
 MODEL_OBJECTS = {v: k for (k, v) in OBJECT_TYPES.items()}
 
 
-def assert_written(consumer, kafka_prefix, expected_messages):
-    consumed_objects = defaultdict(list)
+def consume_messages(consumer, kafka_prefix, expected_messages):
+    """Consume expected_messages from the consumer;
+    Sort them all into a consumed_objects dict"""
+    consumed_messages = defaultdict(list)
 
     fetched_messages = 0
     retries_left = 1000
@@ -49,13 +51,21 @@
             continue
 
         fetched_messages += 1
-        consumed_objects[msg.topic()].append(
+        topic = msg.topic()
+        assert topic.startswith(kafka_prefix + '.'), "Unexpected topic"
+        object_type = topic[len(kafka_prefix + '.'):]
+
+        consumed_messages[object_type].append(
             (kafka_to_key(msg.key()), kafka_to_value(msg.value()))
         )
 
+    return consumed_messages
+
+
+def assert_all_objects_consumed(consumed_messages):
+    """Check whether all objects from OBJECT_TYPE_KEYS have been consumed"""
     for (object_type, (key_name, objects)) in OBJECT_TYPE_KEYS.items():
-        topic = kafka_prefix + '.' + object_type
-        (keys, values) = zip(*consumed_objects[topic])
+        (keys, values) = zip(*consumed_messages[object_type])
         if key_name:
             assert list(keys) == [object_[key_name] for object_ in objects]
         else:
@@ -99,7 +109,10 @@
             writer.write_addition(object_type, object_)
             expected_messages += 1
 
-    assert_written(consumer, kafka_prefix, expected_messages)
+    consumed_messages = consume_messages(
+        consumer, kafka_prefix, expected_messages
+    )
+    assert_all_objects_consumed(consumed_messages)
 
 
 def test_storage_direct_writer(
@@ -159,4 +172,7 @@
         else:
             assert False, object_type
 
-    assert_written(consumer, kafka_prefix, expected_messages)
+    consumed_messages = consume_messages(
+        consumer, kafka_prefix, expected_messages
+    )
+    assert_all_objects_consumed(consumed_messages)