diff --git a/db/btree.cpp b/db/btree.cpp
index 66fda24fbe0..8288a3aaeca 100644
--- a/db/btree.cpp
+++ b/db/btree.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "db.h"
 #include "btree.h"
 #include "pdfile.h"
-#include "../util/unittest.h"
 #include "json.h"
 #include "clientcursor.h"
 #include "client.h"
@@ -38,8 +37,8 @@ namespace mongo {
     const int KeyMax = BucketSize / 10;
 
     extern int otherTraceLevel;
-    int split_debug = 0;
-    int insert_debug = 0;
+    const int split_debug = 0;
+    const int insert_debug = 0;
 
     /* BucketBasics --------------------------------------------------- */
 
@@ -79,6 +78,12 @@ namespace mongo {
     }
 
     int BucketBasics::fullValidate(const DiskLoc& thisLoc, const BSONObj &order) {
+        {
+            bool f = false;
+            assert( f = true );
+            massert("assert is misdefined", f);
+        }
+
         checkForInterrupt();
         assertValid(order, true);
 //	if( bt_fv==0 )
diff --git a/db/btree.h b/db/btree.h
index b58484e9d89..228970fdc38 100644
--- a/db/btree.h
+++ b/db/btree.h
@@ -108,9 +108,9 @@ namespace mongo {
          */
         bool _pushBack(const DiskLoc& recordLoc, BSONObj& key, const BSONObj &order, DiskLoc prevChild);
         void pushBack(const DiskLoc& recordLoc, BSONObj& key, const BSONObj &order, DiskLoc prevChild){
-            assert( _pushBack( recordLoc , key , order , prevChild ) );
+            bool ok = _pushBack( recordLoc , key , order , prevChild );
+            assert(ok);
         }
-        //void pushBack(const DiskLoc& recordLoc, BSONObj& key, const BSONObj &order, DiskLoc prevChild, DiskLoc nextChild);
         void popBack(DiskLoc& recLoc, BSONObj& key);
         void _delKeyAtPos(int keypos); // low level version that doesn't deal with child ptrs.
 
diff --git a/db/dbwebserver.cpp b/db/dbwebserver.cpp
index 6cb5cd61b5a..be0d2145df2 100644
--- a/db/dbwebserver.cpp
+++ b/db/dbwebserver.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 #include <pcrecpp.h>
 #include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
+#undef assert
+#define assert xassert
 
 
 namespace mongo {
diff --git a/db/jsobj.cpp b/db/jsobj.cpp
index a6b8781fd21..7bea9bd8a70 100644
--- a/db/jsobj.cpp
+++ b/db/jsobj.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 #include "jsobjmanipulator.h"
 #include "../util/optime.h"
 #include <boost/static_assert.hpp>
+#undef assert
+#define assert xassert
 
 // make sure our assumptions are valid
 BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT( sizeof(int) == 4 );
diff --git a/db/security.h b/db/security.h
index fef81808296..63cb84d5baf 100644
--- a/db/security.h
+++ b/db/security.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <boost/thread/tss.hpp>
 #undef assert
 #define assert xassert
+
 #include "db.h"
 #include "dbhelpers.h"
 #include "nonce.h"
diff --git a/dbtests/btreetests.cpp b/dbtests/btreetests.cpp
index 7f851b9c656..eca89bfdf77 100644
--- a/dbtests/btreetests.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/btreetests.cpp
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
  */
 
 #include "stdafx.h"
-#include "../db/btree.h"
 
 #include "../db/db.h"
+#include "../db/btree.h"
 
 #include "dbtests.h"
 
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ namespace BtreeTests {
     class Base {
     public:
         Base() {
+            {
+                bool f = false;
+                assert( f = true );
+                massert("assert is misdefined", f);
+            }
+
             setClient( ns() );
             BSONObjBuilder builder;
             builder.append( "ns", ns() );
diff --git a/dbtests/framework.cpp b/dbtests/framework.cpp
index 46b5e88a11f..639937864f1 100644
--- a/dbtests/framework.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/framework.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@
 
 #include "stdafx.h"
 #include <boost/program_options.hpp>
+
+#undef assert
+#define assert xassert
+
 #include "framework.h"
 #include "../util/file_allocator.h"
 
diff --git a/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp b/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp
index 2017f5bb1d4..44f5067c9a2 100644
--- a/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp
+++ b/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 #ifndef _WIN32
 #include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
+#undef assert
+#define assert xassert
 #endif
 
 namespace mongo {
diff --git a/util/top.h b/util/top.h
index b115388d5f3..12ef85f4b70 100644
--- a/util/top.h
+++ b/util/top.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
+#undef assert
+#define assert xassert
 
 namespace mongo {