diff --git a/backends/ilang/ilang_backend.cc b/backends/ilang/ilang_backend.cc
index cf0d3feca..aa5a175ca 100644
--- a/backends/ilang/ilang_backend.cc
+++ b/backends/ilang/ilang_backend.cc
@@ -362,9 +362,7 @@ void ILANG_BACKEND::dump_module(std::ostream &f, std::string indent, RTLIL::Modu
 
 void ILANG_BACKEND::dump_design(std::ostream &f, RTLIL::Design *design, bool only_selected, bool flag_m, bool flag_n)
 {
-#ifndef NDEBUG
 	int init_autoidx = autoidx;
-#endif
 
 	if (!flag_m) {
 		int count_selected_mods = 0;
diff --git a/kernel/log.h b/kernel/log.h
index 501d20c09..ef4b6b456 100644
--- a/kernel/log.h
+++ b/kernel/log.h
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ static inline void log_assert_worker(bool cond, const char *expr, const char *fi
 }
 #  define log_assert(_assert_expr_) YOSYS_NAMESPACE_PREFIX log_assert_worker(_assert_expr_, #_assert_expr_, __FILE__, __LINE__)
 #else
-#  define log_assert(_assert_expr_)
+#  define log_assert(_assert_expr_) do { if (0) { (void)(_assert_expr_); } } while(0)
 #endif
 
 #define log_abort() YOSYS_NAMESPACE_PREFIX log_error("Abort in %s:%d.\n", __FILE__, __LINE__)
diff --git a/kernel/macc.h b/kernel/macc.h
index e9f6f05e9..d216e6772 100644
--- a/kernel/macc.h
+++ b/kernel/macc.h
@@ -107,10 +107,8 @@ struct Macc
 		std::vector<RTLIL::State> config_bits = cell->getParam(ID::CONFIG).bits;
 		int config_cursor = 0;
 
-#ifndef NDEBUG
 		int config_width = cell->getParam(ID::CONFIG_WIDTH).as_int();
 		log_assert(GetSize(config_bits) >= config_width);
-#endif
 
 		int num_bits = 0;
 		if (config_bits[config_cursor++] == State::S1) num_bits |= 1;