diff --git a/core/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/assertj/ApplicationContextAssert.java b/core/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/assertj/ApplicationContextAssert.java
index 6f5be5b15ae1..f39319f6d757 100644
--- a/core/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/assertj/ApplicationContextAssert.java
+++ b/core/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/assertj/ApplicationContextAssert.java
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 import org.assertj.core.api.AbstractObjectArrayAssert;
 import org.assertj.core.api.AbstractObjectAssert;
 import org.assertj.core.api.AbstractThrowableAssert;
-import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
 import org.assertj.core.api.MapAssert;
 import org.assertj.core.error.BasicErrorMessageFactory;
 import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
@@ -37,6 +36,7 @@
 import org.springframework.boot.test.context.runner.ApplicationContextRunner;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.lang.CheckReturnValue;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
@@ -224,13 +224,14 @@ public ApplicationContextAssert<C> doesNotHaveBean(String name) {
 	 * @return array assertions for the bean names
 	 * @throws AssertionError if the application context did not start
 	 */
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public <T> AbstractObjectArrayAssert<?, String> getBeanNames(Class<T> type) {
 		if (this.startupFailure != null) {
 			throwAssertionError(contextFailedToStartWhenExpecting(this.startupFailure,
 					"to get beans names with type:%n <%s>", type));
 		}
-		return Assertions.assertThat(getApplicationContext().getBeanNamesForType(type))
-			.as("Bean names of type <%s> from <%s>", type, getApplicationContext());
+		return assertThat(getApplicationContext().getBeanNamesForType(type)).as("Bean names of type <%s> from <%s>",
+				type, getApplicationContext());
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -249,6 +250,7 @@ public <T> AbstractObjectArrayAssert<?, String> getBeanNames(Class<T> type) {
 	 * @throws AssertionError if the application context contains multiple beans of the
 	 * given type
 	 */
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public <T> AbstractObjectAssert<?, T> getBean(Class<T> type) {
 		return getBean(type, Scope.INCLUDE_ANCESTORS);
 	}
@@ -270,6 +272,7 @@ public <T> AbstractObjectAssert<?, T> getBean(Class<T> type) {
 	 * @throws AssertionError if the application context contains multiple beans of the
 	 * given type
 	 */
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public <T> AbstractObjectAssert<?, T> getBean(Class<T> type, Scope scope) {
 		Assert.notNull(scope, "'scope' must not be null");
 		if (this.startupFailure != null) {
@@ -284,7 +287,7 @@ public <T> AbstractObjectAssert<?, T> getBean(Class<T> type, Scope scope) {
 							getApplicationContext(), type, names));
 		}
 		T bean = (name != null) ? getApplicationContext().getBean(name, type) : null;
-		return Assertions.assertThat(bean).as("Bean of type <%s> from <%s>", type, getApplicationContext());
+		return assertThat(bean).as("Bean of type <%s> from <%s>", type, getApplicationContext());
 	}
 
 	private @Nullable String getPrimary(String[] names, Scope scope) {
@@ -330,13 +333,14 @@ private boolean isPrimary(String name, Scope scope) {
 	 * is found
 	 * @throws AssertionError if the application context did not start
 	 */
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public AbstractObjectAssert<?, Object> getBean(String name) {
 		if (this.startupFailure != null) {
 			throwAssertionError(
 					contextFailedToStartWhenExpecting(this.startupFailure, "to contain a bean of name:%n <%s>", name));
 		}
 		Object bean = findBean(name);
-		return Assertions.assertThat(bean).as("Bean of name <%s> from <%s>", name, getApplicationContext());
+		return assertThat(bean).as("Bean of name <%s> from <%s>", name, getApplicationContext());
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -357,6 +361,7 @@ public AbstractObjectAssert<?, Object> getBean(String name) {
 	 * name but a different type
 	 */
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public <T> AbstractObjectAssert<?, T> getBean(String name, Class<T> type) {
 		if (this.startupFailure != null) {
 			throwAssertionError(contextFailedToStartWhenExpecting(this.startupFailure,
@@ -368,8 +373,8 @@ public <T> AbstractObjectAssert<?, T> getBean(String name, Class<T> type) {
 					"%nExpecting:%n <%s>%nto contain a bean of name:%n <%s> (%s)%nbut found:%n <%s> of type <%s>",
 					getApplicationContext(), name, type, bean, bean.getClass()));
 		}
-		return Assertions.assertThat((T) bean)
-			.as("Bean of name <%s> and type <%s> from <%s>", name, type, getApplicationContext());
+		return assertThat((T) bean).as("Bean of name <%s> and type <%s> from <%s>", name, type,
+				getApplicationContext());
 	}
 
 	private @Nullable Object findBean(String name) {
@@ -395,6 +400,7 @@ public <T> AbstractObjectAssert<?, T> getBean(String name, Class<T> type) {
 	 * no beans are found
 	 * @throws AssertionError if the application context did not start
 	 */
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public <T> MapAssert<String, T> getBeans(Class<T> type) {
 		return getBeans(type, Scope.INCLUDE_ANCESTORS);
 	}
@@ -414,14 +420,15 @@ public <T> MapAssert<String, T> getBeans(Class<T> type) {
 	 * no beans are found
 	 * @throws AssertionError if the application context did not start
 	 */
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public <T> MapAssert<String, T> getBeans(Class<T> type, Scope scope) {
 		Assert.notNull(scope, "'scope' must not be null");
 		if (this.startupFailure != null) {
 			throwAssertionError(
 					contextFailedToStartWhenExpecting(this.startupFailure, "to get beans of type:%n <%s>", type));
 		}
-		return Assertions.assertThat(scope.getBeansOfType(getApplicationContext(), type))
-			.as("Beans of type <%s> from <%s>", type, getApplicationContext());
+		return assertThat(scope.getBeansOfType(getApplicationContext(), type)).as("Beans of type <%s> from <%s>", type,
+				getApplicationContext());
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -434,6 +441,7 @@ public <T> MapAssert<String, T> getBeans(Class<T> type, Scope scope) {
 	 * @return assertions on the cause of the failure
 	 * @throws AssertionError if the application context started without a failure
 	 */
+	@CheckReturnValue
 	public AbstractThrowableAssert<?, ? extends Throwable> getFailure() {
 		hasFailed();
 		return assertThat(this.startupFailure);