diff --git a/src/include/assert.h b/src/include/assert.h
index 94f9d7407c755..481f8bacfb3ee 100644
--- a/src/include/assert.h
+++ b/src/include/assert.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef CEPH_ASSERT_H
 #define CEPH_ASSERT_H
 
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
 #if defined(__linux__)
 #include <features.h>
 
@@ -74,36 +76,12 @@ extern void __ceph_assertf_fail(const char *assertion, const char *file, int lin
   __attribute__ ((__noreturn__));
 extern void __ceph_assert_warn(const char *assertion, const char *file, int line, const char *function);
 
-#define ceph_assert(expr)							\
-  ((expr)								\
-   ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
-   : __ceph_assert_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION))
 
 #define assert_warn(expr)							\
   ((expr)								\
    ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
    : __ceph_assert_warn (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION))
 
-/*
-#define assert(expr)							\
-  do {									\
-	static int __assert_flag = 0;					\
-	struct TlsData *tls = tls_get_val();				\
-	if (!__assert_flag && tls && tls->disable_assert) {		\
-		__assert_flag = 1;					\
-		__ceph_assert_warn(__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __ASSERT_FUNCTION); \
-	}								\
-	((expr)								\
-	? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
-	: __ceph_assert_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __ASSERT_FUNCTION)); \
-  } while (0)
-#endif
-*/
-/*
-#define assert_protocol(expr)	assert(expr)
-#define assert_disk(expr)	assert(expr)
-*/
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 
@@ -117,7 +95,12 @@ using namespace ceph;
  * Currently, it's the same as assert(0), but we may one day make assert a
  * debug-only thing, like it is in many projects.
  */
-#define ceph_abort() assert(0)
+#define ceph_abort() abort()
+
+#define ceph_abort_msg(cct, msg) {					\
+		lgeneric_derr(cct) << "abort: " << msg << dendl;	\
+		abort();						\
+	}
 
 #endif
 
@@ -141,6 +124,17 @@ using namespace ceph;
   ((expr)								\
    ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
    : __ceph_assert_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION))
+#define ceph_assert(expr)							\
+  ((expr)								\
+   ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
+   : __ceph_assert_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION))
+
+// this variant will *never* get compiled out to NDEBUG in the future.
+// (ceph_assert currently doesn't either, but in the future it might.)
+#define ceph_assert_always(expr)							\
+  ((expr)								\
+   ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
+   : __ceph_assert_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION))
 
 // Named by analogy with printf.  Along with an expression, takes a format
 // string and parameters which are printed if the assertion fails.
@@ -148,3 +142,14 @@ using namespace ceph;
   ((expr)								\
    ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
    : __ceph_assertf_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION, __VA_ARGS__))
+#define ceph_assertf(expr, ...)                  \
+  ((expr)								\
+   ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
+   : __ceph_assertf_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION, __VA_ARGS__))
+
+// this variant will *never* get compiled out to NDEBUG in the future.
+// (ceph_assertf currently doesn't either, but in the future it might.)
+#define ceph_assertf_always(expr, ...)                  \
+  ((expr)								\
+   ? __CEPH_ASSERT_VOID_CAST (0)					\
+   : __ceph_assertf_fail (__STRING(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__, __CEPH_ASSERT_FUNCTION, __VA_ARGS__))