diff --git a/test/sequential/test-debugger-exec.js b/test/sequential/test-debugger-exec.js
index 4057dd03785e7c..3d4bb9ff63ab91 100644
--- a/test/sequential/test-debugger-exec.js
+++ b/test/sequential/test-debugger-exec.js
@@ -8,76 +8,61 @@ const startCLI = require('../common/debugger');
 
 const assert = require('assert');
 
-{
+const cli = startCLI([fixtures.path('debugger/alive.js')]);
 
-  const cli = startCLI([fixtures.path('debugger/alive.js')]);
+async function waitInitialBreak() {
+  try {
+    await cli.waitForInitialBreak();
+    await cli.waitForPrompt();
+    await cli.command('exec [typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]');
+    assert.match(cli.output, /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/, 'works w/o paren');
 
-  function onFatal(error) {
-    cli.quit();
-    throw error;
-  }
+    await cli.command('p [typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]');
+    assert.match(
+      cli.output,
+      /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/,
+      'works w/o paren, short'
+    );
+
+    await cli.command('repl');
+    assert.match(
+      cli.output,
+      /Press Ctrl\+C to leave debug repl\n+> /,
+      'shows hint for how to leave repl'
+    );
+    assert.doesNotMatch(cli.output, /debug>/, 'changes the repl style');
+
+    await cli.command('[typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]');
+    await cli.waitFor(/function/);
+    await cli.waitForPrompt();
+    assert.match(
+      cli.output,
+      /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/,
+      'can evaluate in the repl'
+    );
+    assert.match(cli.output, /> $/);
 
-  cli.waitForInitialBreak()
-    .then(() => cli.waitForPrompt())
-    .then(() => cli.command('exec [typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]'))
-    .then(() => {
-      assert.match(
-        cli.output,
-        /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/,
-        'works w/o paren'
-      );
-    })
-    .then(() => cli.command('p [typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]'))
-    .then(() => {
-      assert.match(
-        cli.output,
-        /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/,
-        'works w/o paren, short'
-      );
-    })
-    .then(() => cli.command('repl'))
-    .then(() => {
-      assert.match(
-        cli.output,
-        /Press Ctrl\+C to leave debug repl\n+> /,
-        'shows hint for how to leave repl');
-      assert.doesNotMatch(cli.output, /debug>/, 'changes the repl style');
-    })
-    .then(() => cli.command('[typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]'))
-    .then(() => cli.waitFor(/function/))
-    .then(() => cli.waitForPrompt())
-    .then(() => {
-      assert.match(
-        cli.output,
-        /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/, 'can evaluate in the repl');
-      assert.match(cli.output, /> $/);
-    })
-    .then(() => cli.ctrlC())
-    .then(() => cli.waitFor(/debug> $/))
-    .then(() => cli.command('exec("[typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]")'))
-    .then(() => {
-      assert.match(
-        cli.output,
-        /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/,
-        'works w/ paren'
-      );
-    })
-    .then(() => cli.command('p("[typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]")'))
-    .then(() => {
-      assert.match(
-        cli.output,
-        /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/,
-        'works w/ paren, short'
-      );
-    })
-    .then(() => cli.command('cont'))
-    .then(() => cli.command('exec [typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]'))
-    .then(() => {
-      assert.match(
-        cli.output,
-        /\[ 'undefined', 'function' \]/,
-        'non-paused exec can see global but not module-scope values');
-    })
-    .then(() => cli.quit())
-    .then(null, onFatal);
+    await cli.ctrlC();
+    await cli.waitFor(/debug> $/);
+    await cli.command('exec("[typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]")');
+    assert.match(cli.output, /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/, 'works w/ paren');
+    await cli.command('p("[typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]")');
+    assert.match(
+      cli.output,
+      /\[ 'function', 'function' \]/,
+      'works w/ paren, short'
+    );
+
+    await cli.command('cont');
+    await cli.command('exec [typeof heartbeat, typeof process.exit]');
+    assert.match(
+      cli.output,
+      /\[ 'undefined', 'function' \]/,
+      'non-paused exec can see global but not module-scope values'
+    );
+  } finally {
+    await cli.quit();
+  }
 }
+
+waitInitialBreak();