diff --git a/src/core/common.h b/src/core/common.h
index 33d8910d..a8f19158 100644
--- a/src/core/common.h
+++ b/src/core/common.h
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ __inline__ void TRACE(char *f, ...) { } // this is re3 only, and so the function
 #ifndef MASTER
 #define assert(_Expression) (void)( (!!(_Expression)) || (re3_assert(#_Expression, __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__), 0) )
 #else
-#define assert(_Expression)
+#define assert(_Expression) (_Expression)
 #endif
 #define ASSERT assert