diff --git a/pandas/tests/generic/test_panel.py b/pandas/tests/generic/test_panel.py
index 720f471a0ebd4..4cbd5cb2aa69f 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/generic/test_panel.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/generic/test_panel.py
@@ -32,3 +32,26 @@ def test_to_xarray(self):
 
             # idempotency
             assert_panel_equal(result.to_pandas(), p)
+
+
+# run all the tests, but wrap each in a warning catcher
+for t in ['test_rename', 'test_get_numeric_data',
+          'test_get_default', 'test_nonzero',
+          'test_downcast', 'test_constructor_compound_dtypes',
+          'test_head_tail',
+          'test_size_compat', 'test_split_compat',
+          'test_unexpected_keyword',
+          'test_stat_unexpected_keyword', 'test_api_compat',
+          'test_stat_non_defaults_args',
+          'test_truncate_out_of_bounds',
+          'test_metadata_propagation', 'test_copy_and_deepcopy',
+          'test_sample']:
+
+    def f():
+        def tester(self):
+            f = getattr(super(TestPanel, self), t)
+            with catch_warnings(record=True):
+                f()
+        return tester
+
+    setattr(TestPanel, t, f())
diff --git a/pandas/util/testing.py b/pandas/util/testing.py
index 2278d1fe25c7c..b99f019a8e98f 100644
--- a/pandas/util/testing.py
+++ b/pandas/util/testing.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 import traceback
 
 from datetime import datetime
-from functools import wraps, partial
+from functools import wraps
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 from numpy.random import randn, rand
@@ -1266,14 +1266,13 @@ def assert_frame_equal(left, right, check_dtype=True,
                 obj='DataFrame.iloc[:, {idx}]'.format(idx=i))
 
 
-def assert_panelnd_equal(left, right,
-                         check_dtype=True,
-                         check_panel_type=False,
-                         check_less_precise=False,
-                         assert_func=assert_frame_equal,
-                         check_names=False,
-                         by_blocks=False,
-                         obj='Panel'):
+def assert_panel_equal(left, right,
+                       check_dtype=True,
+                       check_panel_type=False,
+                       check_less_precise=False,
+                       check_names=False,
+                       by_blocks=False,
+                       obj='Panel'):
     """Check that left and right Panels are equal.
 
     Parameters
@@ -1288,7 +1287,6 @@ def assert_panelnd_equal(left, right,
         Specify comparison precision. Only used when check_exact is False.
         5 digits (False) or 3 digits (True) after decimal points are compared.
         If int, then specify the digits to compare
-    assert_func : function for comparing data
     check_names : bool, default True
         Whether to check the Index names attribute.
     by_blocks : bool, default False
@@ -1322,19 +1320,15 @@ def assert_panelnd_equal(left, right,
             assert item in right, msg
             litem = left.iloc[i]
             ritem = right.iloc[i]
-            assert_func(litem, ritem, check_less_precise=check_less_precise)
+            assert_frame_equal(litem, ritem,
+                               check_less_precise=check_less_precise,
+                               check_names=check_names)
 
         for i, item in enumerate(right._get_axis(0)):
             msg = "non-matching item (left) '{item}'".format(item=item)
             assert item in left, msg
 
 
-# TODO: strangely check_names fails in py3 ?
-_panel_frame_equal = partial(assert_frame_equal, check_names=False)
-assert_panel_equal = partial(assert_panelnd_equal,
-                             assert_func=_panel_frame_equal)
-
-
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Sparse