diff --git a/app/CMakeLists.txt b/app/CMakeLists.txt
index 0a72876367..b73fb0bd12 100644
--- a/app/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/app/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -328,9 +328,9 @@ set_property(TARGET firebase_app PROPERTY FOLDER "Firebase Cpp")
 
 # Disable exceptions in std
 if (MSVC)
-  target_compile_options(firebase_app PUBLIC /EHs-c-)
+  target_compile_options(firebase_app PRIVATE /EHs-c-)
 else()
-  target_compile_options(firebase_app PUBLIC -fno-exceptions)
+  target_compile_options(firebase_app PRIVATE -fno-exceptions)
 endif()
 
 target_include_directories(firebase_app
diff --git a/app/tests/thread_test.cc b/app/tests/thread_test.cc
index bf6237bb40..b822d67229 100644
--- a/app/tests/thread_test.cc
+++ b/app/tests/thread_test.cc
@@ -20,6 +20,18 @@
 #include "gmock/gmock.h"
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
 
+#define EXPECT_THROW_ERROR_CODE(statement, error_code)               \
+  EXPECT_THROW(                                                      \
+      {                                                              \
+        try {                                                        \
+          GTEST_SUPPRESS_UNREACHABLE_CODE_WARNING_BELOW_(statement); \
+        } catch (const std::system_error& exception) {               \
+          EXPECT_EQ(error_code, exception.code());                   \
+          throw;                                                     \
+        }                                                            \
+      },                                                             \
+      std::system_error)
+
 namespace {
 
 using ::testing::Eq;
@@ -107,66 +119,66 @@ TEST(ThreadDeathTest, MovingIntoRunningThreadShouldAbort) {
 }
 
 TEST(ThreadDeathTest, JoinEmptyThreadShouldAbort) {
-  ASSERT_DEATH(
+  EXPECT_THROW_ERROR_CODE(
       {
         firebase::Thread thread;
         thread.Join();
       },
-      "");
+      std::errc::invalid_argument);
 }
 
 TEST(ThreadDeathTest, JoinThreadMultipleTimesShouldAbort) {
-  ASSERT_DEATH(
+  EXPECT_THROW_ERROR_CODE(
       {
         firebase::Thread thread([] {});
 
         thread.Join();
         thread.Join();
       },
-      "");
+      std::errc::invalid_argument);
 }
 
 TEST(ThreadDeathTest, JoinDetachedThreadShouldAbort) {
-  ASSERT_DEATH(
+  EXPECT_THROW_ERROR_CODE(
       {
         firebase::Thread thread([] {});
 
         thread.Detach();
         thread.Join();
       },
-      "");
+      std::errc::invalid_argument);
 }
 
 TEST(ThreadDeathTest, DetachJoinedThreadShouldAbort) {
-  ASSERT_DEATH(
+  EXPECT_THROW_ERROR_CODE(
       {
         firebase::Thread thread([] {});
 
         thread.Join();
         thread.Detach();
       },
-      "");
+      std::errc::invalid_argument);
 }
 
 TEST(ThreadDeathTest, DetachEmptyThreadShouldAbort) {
-  ASSERT_DEATH(
+  EXPECT_THROW_ERROR_CODE(
       {
         firebase::Thread thread;
 
         thread.Detach();
       },
-      "");
+      std::errc::invalid_argument);
 }
 
 TEST(ThreadDeathTest, DetachThreadMultipleTimesShouldAbort) {
-  ASSERT_DEATH(
+  EXPECT_THROW_ERROR_CODE(
       {
         firebase::Thread thread([] {});
 
         thread.Detach();
         thread.Detach();
       },
-      "");
+      std::errc::invalid_argument);
 }
 
 TEST(ThreadDeathTest, WhenJoinableThreadIsDestructedShouldAbort) {
diff --git a/release_build_files/readme.md b/release_build_files/readme.md
index 994b8ca955..0a94ff2a80 100644
--- a/release_build_files/readme.md
+++ b/release_build_files/readme.md
@@ -569,12 +569,15 @@ code.
 
 ### 8.3.0
 -   Changes
-    -   General: This release adds tvOS C++ libraries that wrap the community
-        supported Firebase tvOS SDK. `libs/tvos` contains tvOS specific
-        libraries and the `xcframeworks` directory now includes support for both
-        iOS and tvOS. The following products are currently included for tvOS:
-        Auth, Database, Firestore, Functions, Installations, Messaging, 
-        Remote Config, Storage.
+    -   General: This release adds tvOS C++ libraries that wrap the
+        community-supported Firebase tvOS SDK. `libs/tvos` contains
+        tvOS-specific libraries, and the `xcframeworks` directory now
+        includes support for both iOS and tvOS. The following products are
+        currently included for tvOS: Auth, Database, Firestore, Functions,
+        Installations, Messaging, Remote Config, Storage.
+    -   General: When building from source, the compiler setting of
+        "no exceptions" on app is PRIVATE now and will not affect any other 
+        targets in the build.
     -   Firestore: Removed the deprecated
         `Firestore::RunTransaction(TransactionFunction*)` function. Please use
         the overload that takes a `std::function` argument instead.