diff --git a/kernel/rtlil.cc b/kernel/rtlil.cc
index c97e2e455..95114469e 100644
--- a/kernel/rtlil.cc
+++ b/kernel/rtlil.cc
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "kernel/rtlil.h"
+#include "kernel/log.h"
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <algorithm>
 
@@ -257,13 +258,12 @@ RTLIL::Module::~Module()
 
 RTLIL::IdString RTLIL::Module::derive(RTLIL::Design*, std::map<RTLIL::IdString, RTLIL::Const>)
 {
-	assert(!"Called derive() from module base class.");
-	abort();
+	log_error("Module `%s' is used with parameters but is not parametric!\n", id2cstr(name));
 }
 
 void RTLIL::Module::update_auto_wires(std::map<RTLIL::IdString, int>)
 {
-	assert(!"Called update_auto_wires() from module base class.");
+	log_error("Module `%s' has automatic wires bu no HDL backend to handle it!\n", id2cstr(name));
 }
 
 size_t RTLIL::Module::count_id(RTLIL::IdString id)