diff --git a/src/common/assert.cc b/src/common/assert.cc
index 5c6fee53558..e6c7d214dc9 100644
--- a/src/common/assert.cc
+++ b/src/common/assert.cc
@@ -8,25 +8,30 @@
 
 void __ceph_assert_fail(const char *assertion, const char *file, int line, const char *func)
 {
-  BackTrace bt(1);
+  BackTrace *bt = new BackTrace(1);
 
   _dout_lock.TryLock();
   *_dout << file << ": In function '" << func << "':" << std::endl;
   *_dout << file << ":" << line << ": FAILED assert(" << assertion << ")" << std::endl;
-  bt.print(*_dout);
+  bt->print(*_dout);
   *_dout << " NOTE: a copy of the executable, or `objdump -rdS <executable>` is needed to interpret this." << std::endl;
 
   _dout->flush();
 
   cerr << file << ": In function '" << func << "':" << std::endl;
   cerr << file << ":" << line << ": FAILED assert(" << assertion << ")" << std::endl;
-  bt.print(cerr);
+  bt->print(cerr);
   cerr << " NOTE: a copy of the executable, or `objdump -rdS <executable>` is needed to interpret this." << std::endl;
   cerr.flush();
 
-  char *p = 0;
-  while (1)
-    *p-- = 0;  // make myself core dump.
+  if (1) {
+    throw new FailedAssertion(bt);
+  } else {
+    // make myself core dump.
+    char *p = 0;
+    while (1)
+      *p-- = 0;
+  }
 }
 
 void __ceph_assert_warn(const char *assertion, const char *file, int line, const char *func)
diff --git a/src/include/assert.h b/src/include/assert.h
index c20903216d5..08f3c1c33f3 100644
--- a/src/include/assert.h
+++ b/src/include/assert.h
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@
 #include <features.h>
 #include "common/tls.h"
 
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+
+class BackTrace;
+
+struct FailedAssertion {
+  BackTrace *backtrace;
+  FailedAssertion(BackTrace *bt) : backtrace(bt) {}
+};
+
+#endif
+
+
 #if defined __cplusplus && __GNUC_PREREQ (2,95)
 # define __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST static_cast<void>
 #else
@@ -28,12 +40,19 @@
 extern void __ceph_assert_fail(const char *assertion, const char *file, int line, const char *function)
   __attribute__ ((__noreturn__));
 extern void __ceph_assert_warn(const char *assertion, const char *file, int line, const char *function);
-#if 1
+
+
 #define assert(expr)							\
   ((expr)								\
    ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
    : __ceph_assert_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __ASSERT_FUNCTION))
-#else
+
+#define assert_warn(expr)							\
+  ((expr)								\
+   ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
+   : __ceph_assert_warn (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __ASSERT_FUNCTION))
+
+/*
 #define assert(expr)							\
   do {									\
 	static int __assert_flag = 0;					\
@@ -47,15 +66,11 @@ extern void __ceph_assert_warn(const char *assertion, const char *file, int line
 	: __ceph_assert_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __ASSERT_FUNCTION)); \
   } while (0)
 #endif
-
-#define assert_warn(expr)							\
-  ((expr)								\
-   ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
-   : __ceph_assert_warn (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __ASSERT_FUNCTION))
-
+*/
+/*
 #define assert_protocol(expr)	assert(expr)
 #define assert_disk(expr)	assert(expr)
-
+*/
 
 #endif