diff --git a/lib/base/debug.h b/lib/base/debug.h
index 88d1d87dc..9587f47f0 100644
--- a/lib/base/debug.h
+++ b/lib/base/debug.h
@@ -24,14 +24,20 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #ifdef NDEBUG
-#	define ASSERT(expr) ((void)0)
+#	if defined(__clang__) || (__GNUC__ > 4) || (__GNUC__ == 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 5)
+#		define ASSERT(expr) __builtin_unreachable()
+#	else
+#		define ASSERT(expr) ((void)0)
+#	endif
 #else /* NDEBUG */
-#	define ASSERT(expr) define ASSERT(expr) ((expr) ? 0 : icinga_assert_fail(#expr, __FILE__, __LINE__))
+#	define ASSERT(expr) ((expr) ? 0 : icinga_assert_fail(#expr, __FILE__, __LINE__))
 #endif /* NDEBUG */
 
 #define VERIFY(expr) ((expr) ? 0 : icinga_assert_fail(#expr, __FILE__, __LINE__))
 
-inline void icinga_assert_fail(const char *expr, const char *file, int line)
+int icinga_assert_fail(const char *expr, const char *file, int line) __attribute__((noreturn));
+
+inline int icinga_assert_fail(const char *expr, const char *file, int line)
 {
 	fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d: assertion failed: %s\n", file, line, expr);
 	abort();
diff --git a/lib/base/object.h b/lib/base/object.h
index 2fe2c37be..00fc8b414 100644
--- a/lib/base/object.h
+++ b/lib/base/object.h
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@
 #define OBJECT_H
 
 #include "base/i2-base.h"
+#include "base/debug.h"
 #include <boost/thread/thread.hpp>
 
 #ifndef _DEBUG
 #include <boost/thread/mutex.hpp>
 #else /* _DEBUG */
-#include "base/utility.h"
 #include <boost/thread/recursive_mutex.hpp>
 #endif /* _DEBUG */