diff --git a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.c b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.c
index 8528333..aee3208 100644
--- a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.c
+++ b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.c
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ static int ib_check_cq(void)
 	    debug(3, "%s: sq %p %s", __func__, sq,
 	          sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
 
-	    assert(sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_DATA_SEND_COMPLETION,
-	           "%s: wrong send state %s", __func__,
-		   sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
+	    bmi_ib_assert(sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_DATA_SEND_COMPLETION,
+			  "%s: wrong send state %s", __func__,
+			  sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
 
 	    sq->state.send = SQ_WAITING_RTS_DONE_BUFFER;
 
@@ -212,9 +212,9 @@ static int ib_check_cq(void)
 		else if (state == SQ_WAITING_RTS_DONE_SEND_COMPLETION)
 		    sq->state.send = SQ_WAITING_USER_TEST;
 		else
-		    assert(0, "%s: unknown send state %s (%d) of sq %p",
-		           __func__, sq_state_name(sq->state.send),
-			   sq->state.send, sq);
+		    bmi_ib_assert(0, "%s: unknown send state %s (%d) of sq %p",
+				  __func__, sq_state_name(sq->state.send),
+				  sq->state.send, sq);
 		debug(2, "%s: send to %s completed locally: sq %p -> %s",
 		      __func__, bh->c->peername, sq,
 		      sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ static int ib_check_cq(void)
 		if (state == RQ_RTS_WAITING_CTS_SEND_COMPLETION)
 		    rq->state.recv = RQ_RTS_WAITING_RTS_DONE;
 		else
-		    assert(0, "%s: unknown send state %s of rq %p",
-		           __func__, rq_state_name(rq->state.recv), rq);
+		    bmi_ib_assert(0, "%s: unknown send state %s of rq %p",
+				  __func__, rq_state_name(rq->state.recv), rq);
 		debug(2, "%s: send to %s completed locally: rq %p -> %s",
 		      __func__, bh->c->peername, rq,
 		      rq_state_name(rq->state.recv));
@@ -264,8 +264,8 @@ static struct buf_head *get_eager_buf(ib_connection_t *c)
     if (c->send_credit > 0) {
 	--c->send_credit;
 	bh = qlist_try_del_head(&c->eager_send_buf_free);
-	assert(bh, "%s: empty eager_send_buf_free list, peer %s", __func__,
-	       c->peername);
+	bmi_ib_assert(bh, "%s: empty eager_send_buf_free list, peer %s",
+		      __func__, c->peername);
     }
     return bh;
 }
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ static void post_rr(ib_connection_t *c, struct buf_head *bh)
 	/* one credit saved back for just this situation, do not check */
 	--c->send_credit;
 	bh = qlist_try_del_head(&c->eager_send_buf_free);
-	assert(bh, "%s: empty eager_send_buf_free list", __func__);
+	bmi_ib_assert(bh, "%s: empty eager_send_buf_free list", __func__);
 	bh->sq = NULL;
 	debug(2, "%s: return %d credits to %s", __func__, c->return_credit,
 	      c->peername);
@@ -306,8 +306,9 @@ static void encourage_send_waiting_buffer(struct ib_work *sq)
     ib_connection_t *c = sq->c;
 
     debug(3, "%s: sq %p", __func__, sq);
-    assert(sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_BUFFER, "%s: wrong send state %s",
-           __func__, sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
+    bmi_ib_assert(sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_BUFFER,
+		  "%s: wrong send state %s", __func__,
+		  sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
 
     bh = get_eager_buf(c);
     if (!bh) {
@@ -404,9 +405,10 @@ encourage_send_incoming_cts(struct buf_head *bh, u_int32_t byte_len)
 
     debug(2, "%s: sq %p %s mopid %llx len %u", __func__, sq,
           sq_state_name(sq->state.send), llu(mh_cts.rts_mop_id), byte_len);
-    assert(sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_CTS
-           || sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_RTS_SEND_COMPLETION,
-	   "%s: wrong send state %s", __func__, sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
+    bmi_ib_assert(sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_CTS ||
+		  sq->state.send == SQ_WAITING_RTS_SEND_COMPLETION,
+		  "%s: wrong send state %s", __func__,
+		  sq_state_name(sq->state.send));
 
     /* message; cts content; list of buffers, lengths, and keys */
     want = sizeof(mh_cts)
@@ -606,8 +608,8 @@ encourage_recv_incoming(struct buf_head *bh, msg_type_t type, u_int32_t byte_len
 	    }
 	}
 
-	assert(rq, "%s: mop_id %llx in RTS_DONE message not found",
-	       __func__, llu(mh_rts_done.mop_id));
+	bmi_ib_assert(rq, "%s: mop_id %llx in RTS_DONE message not found",
+		      __func__, llu(mh_rts_done.mop_id));
 
 #if MEMCACHE_BOUNCEBUF
 	memcpy_to_buflist(&rq->buflist, reg_recv_buflist_buf,
diff --git a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.h b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.h
index a7da524..73d54ae 100644
--- a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.h
+++ b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/ib.h
@@ -464,14 +464,17 @@ void memcache_cache_flush(void *md);
 #  define debug(lvl,fmt,...) do { } while (0)
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * Varargs form of assert().
+ */
 #if !defined(NDEBUG)
-#define assert(cond,fmt,args...) \
+#define bmi_ib_assert(cond, fmt, args...) \
     do { \
 	if (bmi_ib_unlikely(!(cond))) \
-	    error(fmt,##args); \
+	    error(fmt, ##args); \
     } while (0)
 #else
-#  define assert(cond,fmt,...) do { } while (0)
+#  define bmi_ib_assert(cond, fmt, ...) do { } while (0)
 #endif
 
 #endif  /* __ib_h */
diff --git a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/mem.c b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/mem.c
index b1533fa..1fc8159 100644
--- a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/mem.c
+++ b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/mem.c
@@ -203,8 +203,8 @@ memcache_memfree(void *md, void *buf, bmi_size_t len)
     if (c) {
 	debug(4, "%s: cache free buf %p len %lld", __func__, c->buf,
 	      lld(c->len));
-	assert(c->count == 1, "%s: buf %p len %lld count = %d, expected 1",
-	       __func__, c->buf, lld(c->len), c->count);
+	bmi_ib_assert(c->count == 1, "%s: buf %p len %lld count %d, expected 1",
+		      __func__, c->buf, lld(c->len), c->count);
 	/* cache it */
 	--c->count;
 	qlist_del(&c->list);
diff --git a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/util.c b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/util.c
index 314ebbc..00cfe98 100644
--- a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/util.c
+++ b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/util.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ void * __hidden
 qlist_del_head(struct qlist_head *list)
 {
     struct qlist_head *h;
-    assert(!qlist_empty(list), "%s: empty list %p", __func__, list);
+    bmi_ib_assert(!qlist_empty(list), "%s: empty list %p", __func__, list);
     h = list->next;
     qlist_del(h);
     return h;
diff --git a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/vapi.c b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/vapi.c
index a7e31f1..2c4746d 100644
--- a/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/vapi.c
+++ b/src/io/bmi/bmi_ib/vapi.c
@@ -167,12 +167,12 @@ static int vapi_new_connection(ib_connection_t *c, int sock, int is_server)
 
     /* share connection information across TCP */
     /* sanity check sizes of things (actually only 24 bits in qp_num) */
-    assert(sizeof(ch_in.lid) == sizeof(uint16_t),
-      "%s: connection_handshake.lid size %d expecting %d", __func__,
-      (int) sizeof(ch_in.lid), (int) sizeof(u_int16_t));
-    assert(sizeof(ch_in.qp_num) == sizeof(uint32_t),
-      "%s: connection_handshake.qp_num size %d expecting %d", __func__,
-      (int) sizeof(ch_in.qp_num), (int) sizeof(uint32_t));
+    bmi_ib_assert(sizeof(ch_in.lid) == sizeof(uint16_t),
+		  "%s: connection_handshake.lid size %d expecting %d",
+		  __func__, (int) sizeof(ch_in.lid), (int) sizeof(u_int16_t));
+    bmi_ib_assert(sizeof(ch_in.qp_num) == sizeof(uint32_t),
+		  "%s: connection_handshake.qp_num size %d expecting %d",
+		  __func__, (int) sizeof(ch_in.qp_num), (int) sizeof(uint32_t));
 
     /* convert all to network order and back */
     ch_out.lid = htobmi16(vd->nic_lid);