diff --git a/src/compat/assumptions.h b/src/compat/assumptions.h
index 4488db08868..78bf3c743f8 100644
--- a/src/compat/assumptions.h
+++ b/src/compat/assumptions.h
@@ -11,13 +11,6 @@
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <limits>
 
-// Assumption: We assume that the macro NDEBUG is not defined.
-// Example(s): We use assert(...) extensively with the assumption of it never
-//             being a noop at runtime.
-#if defined(NDEBUG)
-# error "Bitcoin cannot be compiled without assertions."
-#endif
-
 // Assumption: We assume a C++17 (ISO/IEC 14882:2017) compiler (minimum requirement).
 // Example(s): We assume the presence of C++17 features everywhere :-)
 // ISO Standard C++17 [cpp.predefined]p1:
diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
index 06086d6804a..686da98739b 100644
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 #include <hash.h>
 #include <headerssync.h>
 #include <index/blockfilterindex.h>
+#include <kernel/chain.h>
 #include <kernel/mempool_entry.h>
 #include <logging.h>
-#include <kernel/chain.h>
 #include <merkleblock.h>
 #include <netbase.h>
 #include <netmessagemaker.h>
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 #include <txmempool.h>
 #include <txorphanage.h>
 #include <txrequest.h>
-#include <util/check.h> // For NDEBUG compile time check
+#include <util/check.h>
 #include <util/strencodings.h>
 #include <util/trace.h>
 #include <validation.h>
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 30b3dde74f0..55f2514202b 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #include <txmempool.h>
 #include <uint256.h>
 #include <undo.h>
-#include <util/check.h> // For NDEBUG compile time check
+#include <util/check.h>
 #include <util/fs.h>
 #include <util/fs_helpers.h>
 #include <util/hasher.h>