diff --git a/aiohttp/test_utils.py b/aiohttp/test_utils.py
index bb6b97254d1..08bdd4cb6df 100644
--- a/aiohttp/test_utils.py
+++ b/aiohttp/test_utils.py
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ def get_app(self):
         Use .get_application() coroutine instead
 
         """
-        pass  # pragma: no cover
+        raise RuntimeError("Did you forget to define get_application()?")
 
     def setUp(self):
         self.loop = setup_test_loop()
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 429fc743705..23fd1c3c2c2 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 
-pytest_plugins = 'aiohttp.pytest_plugin'
+pytest_plugins = ['aiohttp.pytest_plugin', 'pytester']
 
 
 _LoggingWatcher = collections.namedtuple("_LoggingWatcher",
diff --git a/tests/test_test_utils.py b/tests/test_test_utils.py
index b4264cf44d0..af6c16c9cc1 100644
--- a/tests/test_test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_test_utils.py
@@ -324,3 +324,18 @@ def test_no_custom_client_session(test_client, loop):
     app = _create_example_app()
     with _TestClient(_TestServer(app, loop=loop), loop=loop) as client:
         assert isinstance(client.session, aiohttp.ClientSession)
+
+
+def test_testcase_no_app(testdir, loop):
+    testdir.makepyfile(
+        """
+        from aiohttp.test_utils import AioHTTPTestCase
+
+
+        class InvalidTestCase(AioHTTPTestCase):
+            def test_noop(self):
+                pass
+        """)
+    result = testdir.runpytest()
+    result.assert_outcomes(failed=1)
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["*RuntimeError*"])