diff --git a/db/dbcommands.cpp b/db/dbcommands.cpp
index 17f668441f4..f91508b3b2e 100644
--- a/db/dbcommands.cpp
+++ b/db/dbcommands.cpp
@@ -166,6 +166,21 @@ string validateNS(const char *ns, NamespaceDetails *d) {
 	return ss.str();
 }
 
+/* just to check if the db has asserted */
+class CmdAsserts : public Command { 
+public:
+    CmdAsserts() : Command("assertinfo") {} 
+    bool run(const char *ns, BSONObj& cmdObj, string& errmsg, BSONObjBuilder& result, bool fromRepl) {
+        result.appendBool("dbasserted", lastAssert[0].isSet() || lastAssert[1].isSet() || lastAssert[2].isSet());
+        result.appendBool("asserted", lastAssert[0].isSet() || lastAssert[1].isSet() || lastAssert[2].isSet() || lastAssert[3].isSet());
+        result.append("assert", lastAssert[AssertRegular].toString());
+        result.append("assertw", lastAssert[AssertW].toString());
+        result.append("assertmsg", lastAssert[AssertMsg].toString());
+        result.append("assertuser", lastAssert[AssertUser].toString());
+        return true;
+    }
+} cmdAsserts;
+
 class CmdGetOpTime : public Command { 
 public:
     CmdGetOpTime() : Command("getoptime") { }
diff --git a/stdafx.cpp b/stdafx.cpp
index b080b7c6b49..f02f44d5e1e 100644
--- a/stdafx.cpp
+++ b/stdafx.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ void msgasserted(const char *msg) {
 }
 
 string Assertion::toString() { 
+    if( !isSet() )
+        return "";
+
     stringstream ss;
     ss << msg << '\n';
     if( *context )
diff --git a/stdafx.h b/stdafx.h
index 1f4da3d37b0..56502b7c3f8 100644
--- a/stdafx.h
+++ b/stdafx.h
@@ -80,7 +80,14 @@ struct Assertion {
     bool isSet() { return when != 0; }
 };
 
-/* last assert of diff types: regular, assert, msgassert, uassert: */
+enum { 
+    AssertRegular = 0, 
+    AssertW = 1,
+    AssertMsg = 2,
+    AssertUser = 3
+};
+
+/* last assert of diff types: regular, wassert, msgassert, uassert: */
 extern Assertion lastAssert[4];
 
 // you can catch these