diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index b30dd96..6c72b7d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ members = ["testsuite"]
 [dependencies]
 cortex-m = "0.6.4"
 cortex-m-rt = "0.6.13"
-defmt = "0.1.0"
+defmt = "0.1.2"
 defmt-rtt = "0.1.0"
 panic-probe = { version = "0.1.0", features = ["print-defmt"] }
 # TODO(4) enter your HAL here
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 52eb1bc..2905d1c 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,10 +3,18 @@
 use core::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 
 use defmt_rtt as _; // global logger
-use panic_probe as _;
 // TODO(5) adjust HAL import
 // use some_hal as _; // memory layout
 
+use panic_probe as _;
+
+// same panicking *behavior* as `panic-probe` but doesn't print a panic message
+// this prevents the panic message being printed *twice* when `defmt::panic` is invoked
+#[defmt::panic_handler]
+fn panic() -> ! {
+    cortex_m::asm::udf()
+}
+
 #[defmt::timestamp]
 fn timestamp() -> u64 {
     static COUNT: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(0);
diff --git a/testsuite/tests/test.rs b/testsuite/tests/test.rs
index d1002ce..cb52264 100644
--- a/testsuite/tests/test.rs
+++ b/testsuite/tests/test.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #![no_main]
 
 use {{crate_name}} as _; // memory layout + panic handler
+use defmt::{assert, assert_eq};
 
 // See https://crates.io/crates/defmt-test/0.1.0 for more documentation (e.g. about the 'state'
 // feature)
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn assert_false() {
-        assert!(false, "TODO: write actual tests")
+    fn assert_eq() {
+        assert_eq!(24, 42, "TODO: write actual tests")
     }
 }