diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index e536a561ff..a729b034d9 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@ services:
 
 environment:
   matrix:
-  - db: mssql
-    db_version: sql2012sp1
-    php: 7.0
-  - db: mssql
-    db_version: sql2014
-    php: 7.0
-  - db: mssql
-    db_version: sql2016
-    php: 7.0
+#  - db: mssql
+#    db_version: sql2012sp1
+#    php: 7.0
+#  - db: mssql
+#    db_version: sql2014
+#    php: 7.0
+#  - db: mssql
+#    db_version: sql2016
+#    php: 7.0
   - db: mssql
     db_version: sql2017
     php: 7.1
diff --git a/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php b/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php
index 2be16c7198..a63d5dc5ec 100644
--- a/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php
+++ b/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php
@@ -911,10 +911,15 @@ class phpbb_functional_test_case extends phpbb_test_case
 	* status code. This assertion tries to catch that.
 	*
 	* @param int $status_code	Expected status code
-	* @return null
+	* @return void
 	*/
 	static public function assert_response_status_code($status_code = 200)
 	{
+		if ($status_code != self::$client->getResponse()->getStatus() &&
+			preg_match('/^5[0-9]{2}/', self::$client->getResponse()->getStatus()))
+		{
+			self::fail('Encountered unexpected server error:\n' . self::$client->getResponse()->getContent());
+		}
 		self::assertEquals($status_code, self::$client->getResponse()->getStatus(), 'HTTP status code does not match');
 	}