diff --git a/librz/analysis/arch/v810/v810_il.c b/librz/analysis/arch/v810/v810_il.c
index 8c7b0b8a20..d324ccc47b 100644
--- a/librz/analysis/arch/v810/v810_il.c
+++ b/librz/analysis/arch/v810/v810_il.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static const char **SR = registers + 32;
 
 RzAnalysisILConfig *v810_il_config(RzAnalysis *a) {
 	rz_return_val_if_fail(a, NULL);
-	assert(RZ_STR_EQ(SR[0], "EIPC"));
+	rz_return_val_if_fail(RZ_STR_EQ(SR[0], "EIPC"), NULL);
 
 	RzAnalysisILConfig *cfg = rz_analysis_il_config_new(32, false, 32);
 	cfg->reg_bindings = registers;
diff --git a/librz/analysis/block.c b/librz/analysis/block.c
index e50fd2f0c8..cdad888752 100644
--- a/librz/analysis/block.c
+++ b/librz/analysis/block.c
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include <rz_analysis.h>
 #include <rz_hash.h>
 #include <rz_util/ht_uu.h>
-#include <assert.h>
 
 #define unwrap(rbnode) ((rbnode) ? container_of(rbnode, RzAnalysisBlock, _rb) : NULL)
 
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ static int __bb_addr_cmp(const void *incoming, const RBNode *in_tree, void *user
 #define D if (analysis && analysis->verbose)
 
 RZ_API void rz_analysis_block_ref(RzAnalysisBlock *bb) {
-	assert(bb->ref > 0); // 0-refd must already be freed.
+	rz_return_if_fail(bb->ref > 0); // 0-refd must already be freed.
 	bb->ref++;
 }
 
@@ -376,12 +375,12 @@ RZ_API void rz_analysis_block_unref(RzAnalysisBlock *bb) {
 	if (!bb) {
 		return;
 	}
-	assert(bb->ref > 0);
+	rz_return_if_fail(bb->ref > 0);
 	bb->ref--;
-	assert(bb->ref >= rz_list_length(bb->fcns)); // all of the block's functions must hold a reference to it
+	rz_return_if_fail(bb->ref >= rz_list_length(bb->fcns)); // all of the block's functions must hold a reference to it
 	if (bb->ref < 1) {
 		RzAnalysis *analysis = bb->analysis;
-		assert(!bb->fcns || rz_list_empty(bb->fcns));
+		rz_return_if_fail(!bb->fcns || rz_list_empty(bb->fcns));
 		rz_rbtree_aug_delete(&analysis->bb_tree, &bb->addr, __bb_addr_cmp, NULL, __block_free_rb, NULL, __max_end);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/librz/analysis/p/analysis_arm_cs.c b/librz/analysis/p/analysis_arm_cs.c
index a4274de652..7f8c925944 100644
--- a/librz/analysis/p/analysis_arm_cs.c
+++ b/librz/analysis/p/analysis_arm_cs.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 inline static const char *ARMCondCodeToString(arm_cc cc) {
 	switch (cc) {
 	default:
-		assert(0 && "Unknown condition code");
+		rz_warn_if_reached();
 		return "";
 	case ARM_CC_EQ:
 		return "eq";
diff --git a/librz/asm/arch/arm/arm_it.c b/librz/asm/arch/arm/arm_it.c
index 09b189fcd9..b708a7685f 100644
--- a/librz/asm/arch/arm/arm_it.c
+++ b/librz/asm/arch/arm/arm_it.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ inline static arm_cc ARMCC_getOppositeCondition(arm_cc cc) {
 	switch (cc) {
 	default:
 		// llvm_unreachable("Unknown condition code");
-		assert(0);
+		rz_warn_if_reached();
 		return ARM_CC_INVALID;
 	case ARM_CC_EQ:
 		return ARM_CC_NE;
diff --git a/librz/asm/arch/luac/v53/assembly_53.c b/librz/asm/arch/luac/v53/assembly_53.c
index 68ff79f90b..f750576257 100644
--- a/librz/asm/arch/luac/v53/assembly_53.c
+++ b/librz/asm/arch/luac/v53/assembly_53.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ static LuaInstruction encode_instruction(ut8 opcode, const char *arg_start, ut16
 	if (has_param_flag(flag, PARAM_Bx)) {
 		SETARG_Bx(instruction, args[cur_cnt++]);
 	}
-	assert(cur_cnt == arg_num);
+	rz_return_val_if_fail(cur_cnt == arg_num, -1);
 
 	return instruction;
 }
diff --git a/librz/asm/arch/luac/v54/assembly_54.c b/librz/asm/arch/luac/v54/assembly_54.c
index 5f6dafaffb..7120109d1b 100644
--- a/librz/asm/arch/luac/v54/assembly_54.c
+++ b/librz/asm/arch/luac/v54/assembly_54.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static LuaInstruction encode_instruction(ut8 opcode, const char *arg_start, ut16
 			return instruction;
 		}
 	}
-	assert(cur_cnt == arg_num);
+	rz_return_val_if_fail(cur_cnt == arg_num, -1);
 
 	return instruction;
 }
@@ -281,4 +281,4 @@ bool lua54_assembly(const char *input, st32 input_size, LuaInstruction *instruct
 
 	*instruction_p = instruction;
 	return true;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/librz/asm/p/asm_arm_cs.c b/librz/asm/p/asm_arm_cs.c
index 35766bff15..6ba77c39ff 100644
--- a/librz/asm/p/asm_arm_cs.c
+++ b/librz/asm/p/asm_arm_cs.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ typedef struct arm_cs_context_t {
 inline static const char *ARMCondCodeToString(arm_cc cc) {
 	switch (cc) {
 	default:
-		assert(0 && "Unknown condition code");
+		rz_warn_if_reached();
 		return "";
 	case ARM_CC_EQ:
 		return "eq";
diff --git a/librz/core/project_migrate.c b/librz/core/project_migrate.c
index 579a2ae058..de8f7a5f90 100644
--- a/librz/core/project_migrate.c
+++ b/librz/core/project_migrate.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ bool v13_v14_foreach_cb(void *user, const char *k, const char *v) {
 	Sdb *fn_db = user;
 	if (rz_str_startswith(k, "0x")) {
 		RzJson *fn_j = rz_json_parse((char *)v);
-		assert(fn_j->type == RZ_JSON_OBJECT);
+		rz_return_val_if_fail(fn_j->type == RZ_JSON_OBJECT, false);
 
 		PJ *j = pj_new();
 		pj_o(j);
diff --git a/librz/util/str_search.c b/librz/util/str_search.c
index 2f9a30e8ee..0ff45ef547 100644
--- a/librz/util/str_search.c
+++ b/librz/util/str_search.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ static st64 score(RzRune *buff, const int len) {
 		}
 
 		ut8 i = compute_index(c1, c2);
-		assert(i < 49);
+		rz_return_val_if_fail(i < 49, ST64_MIN);
 		ut8 y = LATIN1[i];
 		if (y == 0) {
 			score += -100;