diff --git a/format.cc b/format.cc
index 77227589..2abbab8c 100644
--- a/format.cc
+++ b/format.cc
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ typedef void (*FormatFunc)(fmt::Writer &, int, fmt::StringRef);
 // Buffer should be at least of size 1.
 int safe_strerror(
     int error_code, char *&buffer, std::size_t buffer_size) FMT_NOEXCEPT {
-  assert(buffer != 0 && buffer_size != 0);
+  FMT_ASSERT(buffer != 0 && buffer_size != 0, "invalid buffer");
 
   class StrError {
    private:
diff --git a/format.h b/format.h
index eed9a8ca..9440bcbe 100644
--- a/format.h
+++ b/format.h
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@ inline uint32_t clzll(uint64_t x) {
     TypeName& operator=(const TypeName&)
 #endif
 
+#ifndef FMT_ASSERT
+# define FMT_ASSERT(condition, message) assert((condition) && message)
+#endif
+
 namespace fmt {
 
 // Fix the warning about long long on older versions of GCC
@@ -1081,7 +1085,7 @@ class ArgVisitor {
   Result visit(const Arg &arg) {
     switch (arg.type) {
     default:
-      assert(false);
+      FMT_ASSERT(false, "invalid argument type");
       return Result();
     case Arg::INT:
       return FMT_DISPATCH(visit_int(arg.int_value));
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index ed827d16..8c90504d 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ if (HAVE_ENUM_BASE)
   add_definitions(-DFMT_USE_ENUM_BASE=1)
 endif ()
 
+add_fmt_test(assert-test)
 add_fmt_test(gtest-extra-test)
 add_fmt_test(format-test)
 if (FMT_PEDANTIC AND MSVC)
diff --git a/test/assert-test.cc b/test/assert-test.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e81f088a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assert-test.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ Assertion tests
+
+ Copyright (c) 2015, Victor Zverovich
+ All rights reserved.
+
+ Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+ 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
+    list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+    this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+    and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+ THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
+ ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+ WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+ DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
+ ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
+ (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+ LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
+ ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
+ SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+#include "format.h"
+#include "gtest/gtest.h"
+
+#if GTEST_HAS_DEATH_TEST
+# define EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH_IF_SUPPORTED(statement, regex) \
+    EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH(statement, regex)
+#else
+# define EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH_IF_SUPPORTED(statement, regex) \
+    GTEST_UNSUPPORTED_DEATH_TEST_(statement, regex, )
+#endif
+
+TEST(AssertTest, Fail) {
+  EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH_IF_SUPPORTED(FMT_ASSERT(false, "don't panic!"), "don't panic!");
+}
diff --git a/test/format-impl-test.cc b/test/format-impl-test.cc
index fdf1ac07..d4a03c4c 100644
--- a/test/format-impl-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-impl-test.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
  SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
+#include "test-assert.h"
+
 // Include format.cc instead of format.h to test implementation-specific stuff.
 #include "format.cc"
 
@@ -55,10 +57,8 @@ TEST(FormatTest, FormatNegativeNaN) {
 TEST(FormatTest, StrError) {
   char *message = 0;
   char buffer[BUFFER_SIZE];
-#ifndef NDEBUG
-  EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH(fmt::safe_strerror(EDOM, message = 0, 0), "Assertion");
-  EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH(fmt::safe_strerror(EDOM, message = buffer, 0), "Assertion");
-#endif
+  EXPECT_ASSERT(fmt::safe_strerror(EDOM, message = 0, 0), "invalid buffer");
+  EXPECT_ASSERT(fmt::safe_strerror(EDOM, message = buffer, 0), "invalid buffer");
   buffer[0] = 'x';
 #ifdef _GNU_SOURCE
   // Use invalid error code to make sure that safe_strerror returns an error
diff --git a/test/gtest-extra-test.cc b/test/gtest-extra-test.cc
index 3ba219a5..6d8918b3 100644
--- a/test/gtest-extra-test.cc
+++ b/test/gtest-extra-test.cc
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ TEST(BufferedFileTest, CloseError) {
 TEST(BufferedFileTest, Fileno) {
   BufferedFile f;
   // fileno on a null FILE pointer either crashes or returns an error.
-  EXPECT_DEATH({
+  EXPECT_DEATH_IF_SUPPORTED({
     try {
       f.fileno();
     } catch (fmt::SystemError) {
diff --git a/test/test-assert.h b/test/test-assert.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..549cde3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-assert.h
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ Test version of FMT_ASSERT
+
+ Copyright (c) 2015, Victor Zverovich
+ All rights reserved.
+
+ Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+ 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
+    list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+    this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+    and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+ THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
+ ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+ WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+ DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
+ ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
+ (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+ LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
+ ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
+ SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+#ifndef FMT_TEST_ASSERT_H
+#define FMT_TEST_ASSERT_H
+
+#include <string>
+
+static std::string last_assert;
+
+#define FMT_ASSERT(condition, message) \
+  if (!(condition)) last_assert = message;
+
+// Expects an assertion failure.
+#define EXPECT_ASSERT(stmt, message) \
+  { last_assert = ""; stmt; EXPECT_EQ(last_assert, message); }
+
+#endif  // FMT_TEST_ASSERT_H
diff --git a/test/util-test.cc b/test/util-test.cc
index 3723a0b1..be50bc5c 100644
--- a/test/util-test.cc
+++ b/test/util-test.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
  SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
+#include "test-assert.h"
+
 #include <cfloat>
 #include <climits>
 #include <cstring>
@@ -680,7 +682,7 @@ TEST(ArgVisitorTest, VisitUnhandledArg) {
 TEST(ArgVisitorTest, VisitInvalidArg) {
   Arg arg = Arg();
   arg.type = static_cast<Arg::Type>(Arg::CUSTOM + 1);
-  EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH(TestVisitor().visit(arg), "Assertion");
+  EXPECT_ASSERT(TestVisitor().visit(arg), "invalid argument type");
 }
 
 // Tests fmt::internal::count_digits for integer type Int.