diff --git a/src/basic/macro.h b/src/basic/macro.h
index 3fb561412a4..0c99d68db26 100644
--- a/src/basic/macro.h
+++ b/src/basic/macro.h
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ static inline int __coverity_check_and_return__(int condition) {
 /* We override the glibc assert() here. */
 #undef assert
 #ifdef NDEBUG
-#define assert(expr) do {} while (false)
+#define assert(expr) ({ if (!(expr)) __builtin_unreachable(); })
 #else
 #define assert(expr) assert_message_se(expr, #expr)
 #endif
diff --git a/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h b/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h
index 02412705609..8063f020f83 100644
--- a/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h
+++ b/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         _noreturn_ void efi_assert(const char *expr, const char *file, unsigned line, const char *function);
 
         #ifdef NDEBUG
-                #define assert(expr)
+                #define assert(expr) ({ if (!(expr)) __builtin_unreachable(); })
                 #define assert_not_reached() __builtin_unreachable()
         #else
                 #define assert(expr) ({ _likely_(expr) ? VOID_0 : efi_assert(#expr, __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__); })