diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 1d02c2a6b6..5eb22f62f7 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -14,9 +14,21 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from typing import Iterable
+
 import pytest
 from _pytest.config import Config
 from _pytest.config.argparsing import Parser
+from check_shapes import (
+    DocstringFormat,
+    ShapeCheckingState,
+    get_enable_check_shapes,
+    get_enable_function_call_precompute,
+    get_rewrite_docstrings,
+    set_enable_check_shapes,
+    set_enable_function_call_precompute,
+    set_rewrite_docstrings,
+)
 
 
 def pytest_addoption(parser: Parser) -> None:
@@ -74,3 +86,18 @@ def pytest_collection_modifyitems(config: Config, items: list[pytest.Item]) -> N
         import tensorflow as tf
 
         tf.config.experimental_run_functions_eagerly(True)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def enable_shape_checks() -> Iterable[None]:
+    # ensure `check_shapes` is always enabled for tests
+    old_enable = get_enable_check_shapes()
+    old_rewrite_docstrings = get_rewrite_docstrings()
+    old_function_call_precompute = get_enable_function_call_precompute()
+    set_enable_check_shapes(ShapeCheckingState.ENABLED)
+    set_rewrite_docstrings(DocstringFormat.SPHINX)
+    set_enable_function_call_precompute(True)
+    yield
+    set_enable_function_call_precompute(old_function_call_precompute)
+    set_rewrite_docstrings(old_rewrite_docstrings)
+    set_enable_check_shapes(old_enable)
diff --git a/tests/unit/acquisition/function/test_function.py b/tests/unit/acquisition/function/test_function.py
index 986092681e..454ea41eb8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/acquisition/function/test_function.py
+++ b/tests/unit/acquisition/function/test_function.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import pytest
 import tensorflow as tf
 import tensorflow_probability as tfp
+from check_shapes.exceptions import ShapeMismatchError
 
 from tests.util.misc import (
     TF_DEBUGGING_ERROR_TYPES,
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@ def test_expected_improvement_switches_to_improvement_on_feasible_points() -> No
 def test_expected_improvement_raises_for_invalid_batch_size(at: TensorType) -> None:
     ei = expected_improvement(QuadraticMeanAndRBFKernel(), tf.constant([1.0]))
 
-    with pytest.raises(TF_DEBUGGING_ERROR_TYPES):
+    with pytest.raises(ShapeMismatchError):
         ei(at)
 
 
@@ -946,7 +947,7 @@ def test_expected_constrained_improvement_raises_for_invalid_batch_size(at: Tens
 
     eci = builder.prepare_acquisition_function({NA: QuadraticMeanAndRBFKernel()}, datasets=data)
 
-    with pytest.raises(TF_DEBUGGING_ERROR_TYPES):
+    with pytest.raises(ShapeMismatchError):
         eci(at)
 
 
diff --git a/trieste/acquisition/function/function.py b/trieste/acquisition/function/function.py
index f98af45fa3..7550f952c3 100644
--- a/trieste/acquisition/function/function.py
+++ b/trieste/acquisition/function/function.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 import tensorflow as tf
 import tensorflow_probability as tfp
+from check_shapes import check_shapes
 
 from ...data import Dataset
 from ...models import ProbabilisticModel, ReparametrizationSampler
@@ -211,12 +212,12 @@ def update(self, eta: TensorType) -> None:
         """Update the acquisition function with a new eta value."""
         self._eta.assign(eta)
 
+    @check_shapes(
+        "x: [N..., 1, D] # This acquisition function only supports batch sizes of one",
+        "return: [N..., L]",
+    )
     @tf.function
     def __call__(self, x: TensorType) -> TensorType:
-        tf.debugging.assert_shapes(
-            [(x, [..., 1, None])],
-            message="This acquisition function only supports batch sizes of one.",
-        )
         mean, variance = self._model.predict(tf.squeeze(x, -2))
         normal = tfp.distributions.Normal(mean, tf.sqrt(variance))
         return (self._eta - mean) * normal.cdf(self._eta) + variance * normal.prob(self._eta)