diff --git a/Jamfile b/Jamfile
index 6f6adeebe..8075f0d0b 100755
--- a/Jamfile
+++ b/Jamfile
@@ -245,9 +245,10 @@ feature.compose <iconv>off : <define>TORRENT_USE_ICONV=0 ;
 feature full-stats : on off : composite propagated link-incompatible ;
 feature.compose <full-stats>off : <define>TORRENT_DISABLE_FULL_STATS ;
 
-feature asserts : on off production : composite propagated ;
+feature asserts : on off production system : composite propagated ;
 feature.compose <asserts>production : <define>TORRENT_PRODUCTION_ASSERTS=1 ;
 feature.compose <asserts>off : <define>TORRENT_NO_ASSERTS=1 ;
+feature.compose <asserts>system : <define>TORRENT_USE_SYSTEM_ASSERTS=1 ;
 
 feature windows-version : 2k xp vista win7 : composite propagated link-incompatible ;
 feature.compose <windows-version>2k : <define>_WIN32_WINNT=0x0500 ;
diff --git a/docs/building.rst b/docs/building.rst
index 1bfc10cad..04747eddb 100644
--- a/docs/building.rst
+++ b/docs/building.rst
@@ -363,6 +363,15 @@ Build features:
 |                          | * ``off`` - force not using iconv (disables locale |
 |                          |   awareness except on windows).                    |
 +--------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
+| ``asserts``              | * ``off`` - disable all asserts                    |
+|                          | * ``peoduction`` - enable asserts in release       |
+|                          |   builds, but don't abort, just log them to        |
+|                          |   ``extern char const* libtorrent_assert_log``.    |
+|                          | * ``on`` - enable asserts in debug builds (this is |
+|                          |   the default). On GNU systems, print a stack      |
+|                          |   trace of the assert and some more information.   |
+|                          | * ``system`` use the libc assert macro             |
++--------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
 
 .. _MaxMind: http://www.maxmind.com/app/api
 
@@ -626,6 +635,14 @@ defines you can use to control the build.
 | ``TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE``               | This will exclude all deprecated functions from |
 |                                        | the header files and cpp files.                 |
 +----------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------+
+| ``TORRENT_PRODUCTION_ASSERTS``         | Define to either 0 or 1. Enables assert logging |
+|                                        | in release builds.                              |
++----------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------+
+| ``TORRENT_NO_ASSERTS``                 | Disables all asserts.                           |
++----------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------+
+| ``TORRENT_USE_SYSTEM_ASSERTS``         | Uses the libc assert macro rather then the      |
+|                                        | custom one.                                     |
++----------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------+
 
 
 If you experience that libtorrent uses unreasonable amounts of cpu, it will
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/assert.hpp b/include/libtorrent/assert.hpp
index f5997bcf4..604f9d250 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/assert.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/assert.hpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ extern char const* libtorrent_assert_log;
 std::string demangle(char const* name);
 #endif
 
-#if (defined __linux__ || defined __MACH__) && defined __GNUC__
+#if (defined __linux__ || defined __MACH__) && defined __GNUC__ && !TORRENT_USE_SYSTEM_ASSERT
 
 #if TORRENT_USE_IOSTREAM
 #include <sstream>