diff --git a/src/bt_peer_connection.cpp b/src/bt_peer_connection.cpp
index b431617c3..6cedb8766 100644
--- a/src/bt_peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/bt_peer_connection.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		, m_sync_bytes_read(0)
 		, m_enc_send_buffer(0, 0)
 #endif
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		, m_sent_bitfield(false)
 		, m_in_constructor(true)
 		, m_sent_handshake(false)
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		, m_sync_bytes_read(0)
 		, m_enc_send_buffer(0, 0)
 #endif		
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		, m_sent_bitfield(false)
 		, m_in_constructor(true)
 		, m_sent_handshake(false)
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_sent_handshake && !m_sent_bitfield);
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		m_sent_bitfield = true;
 #endif
 #ifdef TORRENT_VERBOSE_LOGGING
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_sent_handshake && !m_sent_bitfield);
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		m_sent_bitfield = true;
 #endif
 #ifdef TORRENT_VERBOSE_LOGGING
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
 
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(!m_sent_handshake);
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		m_sent_handshake = true;
 #endif
 
@@ -2002,7 +2002,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 			// if we are super seeding, pretend to not have any piece
 			// and don't send a bitfield
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 			m_sent_bitfield = true;
 #endif
 
@@ -2029,7 +2029,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 #ifdef TORRENT_VERBOSE_LOGGING
 			peer_log(" *** NOT SENDING BITFIELD");
 #endif
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 			m_sent_bitfield = true;
 #endif
 			return;
@@ -2106,7 +2106,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		}
 		peer_log("==> BITFIELD [ %s ]", bitfield_string.c_str());
 #endif
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		m_sent_bitfield = true;
 #endif
 
@@ -3095,6 +3095,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			if (!is_local()) write_handshake();
 //			if (t->valid_metadata())
 //				write_bitfield();
+			TORRENT_ASSERT(m_sent_handshake);
 
 			if (is_disconnecting()) return;
 
@@ -3107,6 +3108,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// fall through
 		if (m_state == read_peer_id)
 		{
+			TORRENT_ASSERT(m_sent_handshake);
 			m_statistics.received_bytes(0, bytes_transferred);
 			bytes_transferred = 0;
   			if (!t)
diff --git a/src/peer_connection.cpp b/src/peer_connection.cpp
index fa9b4b309..bed389bae 100644
--- a/src/peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/peer_connection.cpp
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		, m_sent_suggests(false)
 		, m_holepunch_mode(false)
 		, m_ignore_stats(false)
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		, m_in_constructor(true)
 		, m_disconnect_started(false)
 		, m_initialized(false)
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		, m_sent_suggests(false)
 		, m_holepunch_mode(false)
 		, m_ignore_stats(false)
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		, m_in_constructor(true)
 		, m_disconnect_started(false)
 		, m_initialized(false)
@@ -812,7 +812,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		m_have_piece.resize(t->torrent_file().num_pieces(), m_have_all);
 
 		if (m_have_all) m_num_pieces = t->torrent_file().num_pieces();
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		m_initialized = true;
 #endif
 		// now that we have a piece_picker,
@@ -2046,7 +2046,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_outstanding_bytes >= bytes);
 		m_outstanding_bytes -= bytes;
 		if (m_outstanding_bytes < 0) m_outstanding_bytes = 0;
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		boost::shared_ptr<torrent> t = associated_torrent().lock();
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_received_in_piece + bytes <= t->block_size());
 		m_received_in_piece += bytes;
@@ -2206,7 +2206,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		{
 			if ((*i)->on_piece(p, data))
 			{
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 				TORRENT_ASSERT(m_received_in_piece == p.length);
 				m_received_in_piece = 0;
 #endif
@@ -2245,7 +2245,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// just ignore it
 		if (t->is_seed())
 		{
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(m_received_in_piece == p.length);
 			m_received_in_piece = 0;
 #endif
@@ -2279,7 +2279,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 #if defined TORRENT_VERBOSE_LOGGING || defined TORRENT_ERROR_LOGGING
 			peer_log("*** The block we just got was not in the request queue ***");
 #endif
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 			TORRENT_ASSERT_VAL(m_received_in_piece == p.length, m_received_in_piece);
 			m_received_in_piece = 0;
 #endif
@@ -2340,7 +2340,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		b = m_download_queue.begin() + block_index;
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(*b == pending_b);
 		
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		TORRENT_ASSERT_VAL(m_received_in_piece == p.length, m_received_in_piece);
 		m_received_in_piece = 0;
 #endif
@@ -3309,7 +3309,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	// 2 protocol error (client sent something invalid)
 	void peer_connection::disconnect(error_code const& ec, int error)
 	{
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		m_disconnect_started = true;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index c23676868..3f50de79c 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -2314,7 +2314,7 @@ namespace aux {
 
 		boost::intrusive_ptr<peer_connection> c(
 			new bt_peer_connection(*this, s, endp, 0));
-#ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
+#if defined TORRENT_DEBUG || TORRENT_RELEASE_ASSERTS
 		c->m_in_constructor = false;
 #endif