diff --git a/src/Test/HUnit/ShouldBe.hs b/src/Test/HUnit/ShouldBe.hs
--- a/src/Test/HUnit/ShouldBe.hs
+++ b/src/Test/HUnit/ShouldBe.hs
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 -- Introductory documentation: <https://github.com/sol/test-shouldbe#readme>
 module Test.HUnit.ShouldBe (
 
--- * Making assertions
-  shouldBe
+-- * Setting expectations
+  Expectation
+, shouldBe
 , shouldSatisfy
 , shouldReturn
 
--- * Checking for exceptions
+-- * Expecting exceptions
 , shouldThrow
 
 -- ** Selecting exceptions
@@ -37,24 +38,26 @@
 import           Test.HUnit
 import           Control.Exception
 import           Data.Typeable
-import           Control.Arrow ((&&&))
 
+type Expectation = Assertion
+
 infix 1 `shouldBe`, `shouldSatisfy`, `shouldReturn`, `shouldThrow`
 
 -- |
--- @actual \`shouldBe\` expected@ asserts that @actual@ is equal to @expected@
--- (this is just an alias for `@?=`).
-shouldBe :: (Show a, Eq a) => a -> a -> Assertion
+-- @actual \`shouldBe\` expected@ sets the expectation that @actual@ is equal
+-- to @expected@ (this is just an alias for `@?=`).
+shouldBe :: (Show a, Eq a) => a -> a -> Expectation
 actual `shouldBe` expected = actual @?= expected
 
 -- |
--- @v \`shouldSatisfy\` p@ asserts that @p v@ is @True@.
-shouldSatisfy :: (Show a) => a -> (a -> Bool) -> Assertion
+-- @v \`shouldSatisfy\` p@ sets the expectation that @p v@ is @True@.
+shouldSatisfy :: (Show a) => a -> (a -> Bool) -> Expectation
 v `shouldSatisfy` p = assertBool (show v ++ " did not satisfy predicate!") (p v)
 
 -- |
--- @action \`shouldReturn\` expected@ asserts that @action@ returns @expected@.
-shouldReturn :: (Show a, Eq a) => IO a -> a -> Assertion
+-- @action \`shouldReturn\` expected@ sets the expectation that @action@
+-- returns @expected@.
+shouldReturn :: (Show a, Eq a) => IO a -> a -> Expectation
 action `shouldReturn` expected = action >>= (`shouldBe` expected)
 
 -- |
@@ -63,25 +66,25 @@
 type Selector a = (a -> Bool)
 
 -- |
--- @action \`shouldThrow\` selector@ asserts that @action@ throws an exception.
--- The precise nature of that exception is described with a 'Selector'.
-shouldThrow :: Exception e => IO a -> Selector e -> Assertion
+-- @action \`shouldThrow\` selector@ sets the expectation that @action@ throws
+-- an exception.  The precise nature of the expected exception is described
+-- with a 'Selector'.
+shouldThrow :: Exception e => IO a -> Selector e -> Expectation
 action `shouldThrow` p = do
-  m <- (action >> return Nothing) `catch` (return . Just . (p &&& id))
-  case m of
-    Nothing ->
-      assertFailure msgNothing
-    Just (r, e) ->
-      assertBool (msgFailure e) r
+  r <- try action
+  case r of
+    Right _ ->
+      assertFailure $
+        "did not get expected exception: " ++ exceptionType
+    Left e ->
+      (`assertBool` p e) $
+        "predicate failed on expected exception: " ++ exceptionType ++ " (" ++ show e ++ ")"
   where
-    msgNothing = "did not get expected exception: "
-            ++ (show . typeOf . instanceOf $ p)
-
-    msgFailure e = "predicate failed on expected exception: "
-            ++ (show . typeOf $ e) ++ " (" ++ show e ++ ")"
-
-    instanceOf :: Selector a -> a
-    instanceOf _ = error "Test.HUnit.ShouldBe.shouldThrow: brocken Typeable instance"
+    -- a string repsentation of the expected exception's type
+    exceptionType = (show . typeOf . instanceOf) p
+      where
+        instanceOf :: Selector a -> a
+        instanceOf _ = error "Test.HUnit.ShouldBe.shouldThrow: brocken Typeable instance"
 
 anyException :: Selector SomeException
 anyException = const True
diff --git a/test-shouldbe.cabal b/test-shouldbe.cabal
--- a/test-shouldbe.cabal
+++ b/test-shouldbe.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:             test-shouldbe
-version:          0.2.0
+version:          0.2.1
 synopsis:         Catchy combinators for HUnit
 description:      Catchy combinators for HUnit: <https://github.com/sol/test-shouldbe#readme>
 license:          MIT
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 maintainer:       Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>
 build-type:       Simple
 category:         Testing
-cabal-version:    >= 1.6
+cabal-version:    >= 1.8
+homepage:         https://github.com/sol/test-shouldbe#readme
 
 source-repository head
   type: git
@@ -26,3 +27,18 @@
   exposed-modules:
       Test.HUnit.ShouldBe
     , Test.HUnit.ShouldBe.Contrib
+
+test-suite spec
+  main-is:
+      Spec.hs
+  type:
+      exitcode-stdio-1.0
+  ghc-options:
+      -Wall -Werror
+  hs-source-dirs:
+      src, test
+  build-depends:
+      base        >= 4.0  && < 4.6
+    , silently
+    , hspec
+    , hspec-discover
diff --git a/test/Spec.hs b/test/Spec.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Spec.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
+{-# OPTIONS_GHC -F -pgmF hspec-discover #-}