diff --git a/src/peer_connection.cpp b/src/peer_connection.cpp
index c1550bccc..b30f88120 100755
--- a/src/peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/peer_connection.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,13 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		, selector& sel
 		, torrent* t
 		, boost::shared_ptr<libtorrent::socket> s)
-		: m_state(read_protocol_length)
+		:
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+		m_last_choke(boost::posix_time::second_clock::universal_time()
+			- hours(1))
+		, 
+#endif
+		  m_state(read_protocol_length)
 		, m_timeout(120)
 		, m_packet_size(1)
 		, m_recv_pos(0)
@@ -159,7 +165,13 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		detail::session_impl& ses
 		, selector& sel
 		, boost::shared_ptr<libtorrent::socket> s)
-		: m_state(read_protocol_length)
+		:
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+		m_last_choke(boost::posix_time::second_clock::universal_time()
+			- hours(1))
+		, 
+#endif
+		  m_state(read_protocol_length)
 		, m_timeout(120)
 		, m_packet_size(1)
 		, m_recv_pos(0)
@@ -522,8 +534,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// remove all pieces from this peers download queue and
 		// remove the 'downloading' flag from piece_picker.
 		for (std::deque<piece_block>::iterator i = m_download_queue.begin();
-			i != m_download_queue.end();
-			++i)
+			i != m_download_queue.end(); ++i)
 		{
 			m_torrent->picker().abort_download(*i);
 		}
@@ -1680,6 +1691,10 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		using namespace boost::posix_time;
 		(*m_logger) << to_simple_string(second_clock::universal_time())
 			<< " ==> CHOKE\n";
+#endif
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+		using namespace boost::posix_time;
+		m_last_choke = second_clock::universal_time();
 #endif
 		m_num_invalid_requests = 0;
 		m_requests.clear();
@@ -1690,6 +1705,15 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+		// TODO: once the policy lowers the interval for optimistic
+		// unchoke, increase this value that interval
+		// this condition cannot be guaranteed since if peers disconnect
+		// a new one will be unchoked ignoring when it was last choked
+		using namespace boost::posix_time;
+		//assert(second_clock::universal_time() - m_last_choke > seconds(9));
+#endif
+
 		if (!m_choked) return;
 		char msg[] = {0,0,0,1,msg_unchoke};
 		m_send_buffer.insert(m_send_buffer.end(), msg, msg+sizeof(msg));
diff --git a/src/policy.cpp b/src/policy.cpp
index b61e239fe..3c06892f5 100755
--- a/src/policy.cpp
+++ b/src/policy.cpp
@@ -426,10 +426,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 				&& m_torrent->ratio() != 0) continue;
 			if (c->statistics().download_rate() < max_down_speed) continue;
 //			if (i->last_optimistically_unchoked > min_time) continue;
-#ifndef NDEBUG
-			using namespace boost::posix_time;
-			assert(second_clock::universal_time() - c->m_last_choke > seconds(9));
-#endif
 
 			min_time = i->last_optimistically_unchoked;
 			max_down_speed = c->statistics().download_rate();