diff --git a/include/_tail_cc/assert.h b/include/_tail_cc/assert.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5cd6c435b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/_tail_cc/assert.h
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+/* $Header$ */
+/*	 A S S E R T I O N    M A C R O   D E F I N I T I O N		*/
+
+#ifndef	NDEBUG
+/*	Note: this macro uses parameter substitution inside strings */
+#define	assert(exp)	(exp || (fprintf(stderr,"Assertion \"%s\" failed: file %s, line %d\n", "exp", __FILE__, __LINE__), exit(1)))
+#define	_assert(exp)	(exp || (fprintf(stderr,"Assertion \"%s\" failed: file %s, line %d\n", "exp", __FILE__, __LINE__), exit(1)))
+#else
+#define	assert(exp)	(1)
+#define _assert(exp)	(1)
+#endif	NDEBUG