diff --git a/src/processPattern.js b/src/processPattern.js
index 1b2f5583..3714a2be 100644
--- a/src/processPattern.js
+++ b/src/processPattern.js
@@ -98,8 +98,9 @@ export default function processPattern(globalRef, pattern) {
 
           if (path.isAbsolute(file.webpackTo)) {
             if (output === '/') {
-              // eslint-disable-next-line no-throw-literal
-              throw '[copy-webpack-plugin] Using older versions of webpack-dev-server, devServer.outputPath must be defined to write to absolute paths';
+              throw new Error(
+                '[copy-webpack-plugin] Using older versions of webpack-dev-server, devServer.outputPath must be defined to write to absolute paths'
+              );
             }
 
             file.webpackTo = path.relative(output, file.webpackTo);
diff --git a/test/CopyPlugin.test.js b/test/CopyPlugin.test.js
index 6b1ab263..6aa85a02 100644
--- a/test/CopyPlugin.test.js
+++ b/test/CopyPlugin.test.js
@@ -898,8 +898,9 @@ describe('apply function', () => {
         }),
         expectedAssetKeys: [],
         expectedErrors: [
-          '[copy-webpack-plugin] Using older versions of webpack-dev-server, devServer.outputPath must be ' +
-            'defined to write to absolute paths',
+          new Error(
+            '[copy-webpack-plugin] Using older versions of webpack-dev-server, devServer.outputPath must be defined to write to absolute paths'
+          ),
         ],
         patterns: [
           {