diff --git a/toolkit/modules/Sqlite.jsm b/toolkit/modules/Sqlite.jsm
index 48a776cf86e1..cb8a68de1a51 100644
--- a/toolkit/modules/Sqlite.jsm
+++ b/toolkit/modules/Sqlite.jsm
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ let connectionCounters = new Map();
  */
 let isClosed = false;
 
+this.Debugging = {
+  // Tests should fail if a connection auto closes.  The exception is
+  // when finalization itself is tested, in which case this flag
+  // should be set to false.
+  failTestsOnAutoClose: true
+};
+
 // Displays a script error message
 function logScriptError(message) {
   let consoleMessage = Cc["@mozilla.org/scripterror;1"].
@@ -51,8 +58,12 @@ function logScriptError(message) {
                       Ci.nsIScriptError.errorFlag, "component javascript");
   Services.console.logMessage(consoleMessage);
 
-  // Always dump errors, in case the Console Service isn't listening anymore
-  dump("*** " + message + "\n");
+  // This `Promise.reject` will cause tests to fail.  The debugging
+  // flag can be used to suppress this for tests that explicitly
+  // test auto closes.
+  if (Debugging.failTestsOnAutoClose) {
+    Promise.reject(new Error(message));
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/toolkit/modules/tests/xpcshell/test_sqlite.js b/toolkit/modules/tests/xpcshell/test_sqlite.js
index 3a8a297d0d5c..bb42f484bd43 100644
--- a/toolkit/modules/tests/xpcshell/test_sqlite.js
+++ b/toolkit/modules/tests/xpcshell/test_sqlite.js
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ function sleep(ms) {
   return deferred.promise;
 }
 
+// When testing finalization, use this to tell Sqlite.jsm to not throw
+// an uncatchable `Promise.reject`
+function failTestsOnAutoClose(enabled)  {
+  Cu.getGlobalForObject(Sqlite).Debugging.failTestsOnAutoClose = enabled;
+}
+
 function getConnection(dbName, extraOptions={}) {
   let path = dbName + ".sqlite";
   let options = {path: path};
@@ -911,6 +917,7 @@ add_task(function* test_readOnly_clone() {
  * Test finalization
  */
 add_task(function* test_closed_by_witness() {
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(false);
   let c = yield getDummyDatabase("closed_by_witness");
 
   Services.obs.notifyObservers(null, "sqlite-finalization-witness",
@@ -920,9 +927,11 @@ add_task(function* test_closed_by_witness() {
   c._witness.forget();
   yield c._connectionData._deferredClose.promise;
   do_check_false(c._connectionData._open);
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(true);
 });
 
 add_task(function* test_warning_message_on_finalization() {
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(false);
   let c = yield getDummyDatabase("warning_message_on_finalization");
   let connectionIdentifier = c._connectionData._connectionIdentifier;
   let deferred = Promise.defer();
@@ -946,9 +955,11 @@ add_task(function* test_warning_message_on_finalization() {
 
   yield deferred.promise;
   Services.console.unregisterListener(listener);
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(true);
 });
 
 add_task(function* test_error_message_on_unknown_finalization() {
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(false);
   let deferred = Promise.defer();
 
   let listener = {
@@ -965,6 +976,7 @@ add_task(function* test_error_message_on_unknown_finalization() {
 
   yield deferred.promise;
   Services.console.unregisterListener(listener);
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(true);
 });
 
 add_task(function* test_forget_witness_on_close() {
@@ -985,6 +997,7 @@ add_task(function* test_forget_witness_on_close() {
 });
 
 add_task(function* test_close_database_on_gc() {
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(false);
   let deferred = Promise.defer();
 
   for (let i = 0; i < 100; ++i) {
@@ -1003,4 +1016,5 @@ add_task(function* test_close_database_on_gc() {
 
   Components.utils.forceGC();
   yield deferred.promise;
+  failTestsOnAutoClose(true);
 });