diff --git a/src/throw_assert.h b/src/throw_assert.h
index 1b4416b63066ea6c97e29e105d88618e07fbc137..261bd4bd844b06993b10e30057e2093964023d68 100644
--- a/src/throw_assert.h
+++ b/src/throw_assert.h
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 
 
 #ifndef throw_asssert
+
+#ifdef use_throwing_assert
 #define throw_assert(a) { if(!(a)) throw std::invalid_argument(#a); } 
+#else
+#include <assert.h>
+#define throw_assert(a) { assert(a); } 
 #endif