diff --git a/src/key.cpp b/src/key.cpp
index 2fd68fa56..b57b7c506 100644
--- a/src/key.cpp
+++ b/src/key.cpp
@@ -148,10 +148,13 @@ public:
     }
 
     void SetSecretBytes(const unsigned char vch[32]) {
+        bool ret;
         BIGNUM bn;
         BN_init(&bn);
-        assert(BN_bin2bn(vch, 32, &bn));
-        assert(EC_KEY_regenerate_key(pkey, &bn));
+        ret = BN_bin2bn(vch, 32, &bn);
+        assert(ret);
+        ret = EC_KEY_regenerate_key(pkey, &bn);
+        assert(ret);
         BN_clear_free(&bn);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index eb3af5bea..25201c736 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@
 using namespace std;
 using namespace boost;
 
+#if defined(NDEBUG)
+# error "Bitcoin cannot be compiled without assertions."
+#endif
+
 //
 // Global state
 //
@@ -1266,18 +1270,21 @@ void UpdateTime(CBlockHeader& block, const CBlockIndex* pindexPrev)
 
 void UpdateCoins(const CTransaction& tx, CValidationState &state, CCoinsViewCache &inputs, CTxUndo &txundo, int nHeight, const uint256 &txhash)
 {
+    bool ret;
     // mark inputs spent
     if (!tx.IsCoinBase()) {
         BOOST_FOREACH(const CTxIn &txin, tx.vin) {
             CCoins &coins = inputs.GetCoins(txin.prevout.hash);
             CTxInUndo undo;
-            assert(coins.Spend(txin.prevout, undo));
+            ret = coins.Spend(txin.prevout, undo);
+            assert(ret);
             txundo.vprevout.push_back(undo);
         }
     }
 
     // add outputs
-    assert(inputs.SetCoins(txhash, CCoins(tx, nHeight)));
+    ret = inputs.SetCoins(txhash, CCoins(tx, nHeight));
+    assert(ret);
 }
 
 bool CScriptCheck::operator()() const {
@@ -1651,7 +1658,9 @@ bool ConnectBlock(CBlock& block, CValidationState& state, CBlockIndex* pindex, C
             return state.Abort(_("Failed to write transaction index"));
 
     // add this block to the view's block chain
-    assert(view.SetBestBlock(pindex->GetBlockHash()));
+    bool ret;
+    ret = view.SetBestBlock(pindex->GetBlockHash());
+    assert(ret);
 
     // Watch for transactions paying to me
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < block.vtx.size(); i++)
@@ -1746,7 +1755,9 @@ bool SetBestChain(CValidationState &state, CBlockIndex* pindexNew)
     // Flush changes to global coin state
     int64_t nStart = GetTimeMicros();
     int nModified = view.GetCacheSize();
-    assert(view.Flush());
+    bool ret;
+    ret = view.Flush();
+    assert(ret);
     int64_t nTime = GetTimeMicros() - nStart;
     if (fBenchmark)
         LogPrintf("- Flush %i transactions: %.2fms (%.4fms/tx)\n", nModified, 0.001 * nTime, 0.001 * nTime / nModified);
diff --git a/src/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet.cpp
index b9110d127..14d685d6e 100644
--- a/src/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet.cpp
@@ -1298,7 +1298,9 @@ bool CWallet::CreateTransaction(const vector<pair<CScript, int64_t> >& vecSend,
 
                         // Reserve a new key pair from key pool
                         CPubKey vchPubKey;
-                        assert(reservekey.GetReservedKey(vchPubKey)); // should never fail, as we just unlocked
+                        bool ret;
+                        ret = reservekey.GetReservedKey(vchPubKey);
+                        assert(ret); // should never fail, as we just unlocked
 
                         scriptChange.SetDestination(vchPubKey.GetID());
                     }