diff --git a/Tools/autotest/common.py b/Tools/autotest/common.py
index 8556d27df7..8935c05ae4 100644
--- a/Tools/autotest/common.py
+++ b/Tools/autotest/common.py
@@ -4444,7 +4444,7 @@ class AutoTest(ABC):
                      0,
                      0,
                      timeout=timeout)
-        return self.wait_disarmed()
+        self.wait_disarmed()
 
     def disarm_vehicle_expect_fail(self):
         '''disarm, checking first that non-forced disarm fails, then doing a forced disarm'''
@@ -4481,12 +4481,13 @@ class AutoTest(ABC):
             if now - last_print_time > 1:
                 self.progress("Waiting for disarm (%.2fs so far of allowed %.2f)" % (delta, timeout))
                 last_print_time = now
-            self.wait_heartbeat(quiet=True)
-#            self.progress("Got heartbeat")
-            if not self.mav.motors_armed():
-                self.progress("DISARMED after %.2f seconds (allowed=%.2f)" %
-                              (delta, timeout))
-                return True
+            msg = self.wait_heartbeat(quiet=True)
+            if msg.base_mode & mavutil.mavlink.MAV_MODE_FLAG_SAFETY_ARMED:
+                # still armed
+                continue
+            self.progress("DISARMED after %.2f seconds (allowed=%.2f)" %
+                          (delta, timeout))
+            return
 
     def wait_attitude(self, desroll=None, despitch=None, timeout=2, tolerance=10, message_type='ATTITUDE'):
         '''wait for an attitude (degrees)'''
@@ -4619,7 +4620,6 @@ class AutoTest(ABC):
         self.progress("Disarm motors with MavProxy")
         mavproxy.send('disarm\n')
         self.wait_disarmed()
-        return True
 
     def arm_motors_with_rc_input(self, timeout=20):
         """Arm motors with radio."""
@@ -8381,15 +8381,14 @@ Also, ignores heartbeats not from our target system'''
         if not self.arm_vehicle():
             raise NotAchievedException("Failed to ARM")
         self.progress("default disarm_vehicle() call")
-        if not self.disarm_vehicle():
-            raise NotAchievedException("Failed to DISARM")
+        self.disarm_vehicle()
+
         self.progress("arm with mavproxy")
         mavproxy = self.start_mavproxy()
         if not self.mavproxy_arm_vehicle(mavproxy):
             raise NotAchievedException("Failed to ARM")
         self.progress("disarm with mavproxy")
-        if not self.mavproxy_disarm_vehicle(mavproxy):
-            raise NotAchievedException("Failed to DISARM")
+        self.mavproxy_disarm_vehicle(mavproxy)
         self.stop_mavproxy(mavproxy)
 
         if not self.is_sub():
@@ -8531,8 +8530,7 @@ Also, ignores heartbeats not from our target system'''
                 self.progress("Armable mode : %s" % mode)
                 self.change_mode(mode)
                 self.arm_vehicle()
-                if not self.disarm_vehicle():
-                    raise NotAchievedException("Failed to DISARM")
+                self.disarm_vehicle()
                 self.progress("PASS arm mode : %s" % mode)
             if mode in self.get_not_armable_mode_list():
                 if mode in self.get_not_disarmed_settable_modes_list():
@@ -8563,8 +8561,7 @@ Also, ignores heartbeats not from our target system'''
                 self.change_mode(mode)
                 self.arm_vehicle()
                 self.wait_heartbeat()
-                if not self.disarm_vehicle():
-                    raise NotAchievedException("Failed to DISARM")
+                self.disarm_vehicle()
                 self.progress("PASS arm mode : %s" % mode)
                 self.progress("Not armable mode without Position : %s" % mode)
                 self.wait_gps_disable()
@@ -8598,8 +8595,7 @@ Also, ignores heartbeats not from our target system'''
                 self.set_parameter("FOLL_ENABLE", 0)
         self.change_mode(self.default_mode())
         if self.armed():
-            if not self.disarm_vehicle():
-                raise NotAchievedException("Failed to DISARM")
+            self.disarm_vehicle()
 
         # we should find at least one Armed event and one disarmed
         # event, and at least one ARM message for arm and disarm
@@ -10915,8 +10911,7 @@ switch value'''
             }
             self.test_frsky_passthrough_do_wants(frsky, wants)
             self.zero_throttle()
-            if not self.disarm_vehicle():
-                raise NotAchievedException("Failed to DISARM")
+            self.disarm_vehicle()
 
         self.progress("Counts of sensor_id polls sent:")
         frsky.dump_sensor_id_poll_counts_as_progress_messages()
@@ -11370,8 +11365,7 @@ switch value'''
         # ok done, stop the engine
         if self.is_plane():
             self.zero_throttle()
-            if not self.disarm_vehicle(force=True):
-                raise NotAchievedException("Failed to DISARM")
+            self.disarm_vehicle(force=True)
 
     def test_frsky_d(self):
         self.set_parameter("SERIAL5_PROTOCOL", 3) # serial5 is FRSky output