diff --git a/src/analyses/uncaught_exceptions_analysis.cpp b/src/analyses/uncaught_exceptions_analysis.cpp
index dfc012238ab..65baa49e082 100644
--- a/src/analyses/uncaught_exceptions_analysis.cpp
+++ b/src/analyses/uncaught_exceptions_analysis.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Author: Cristina David
 /// Returns the compile type of an exception
 irep_idt uncaught_exceptions_domaint::get_exception_type(const typet &type)
 {
-  assert(type.id()==ID_pointer);
+  PRECONDITION(type.id()==ID_pointer);
 
   if(type.subtype().id()==ID_symbol)
   {
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ void uncaught_exceptions_domaint::transform(
   {
     const exprt &function_expr=
       to_code_function_call(instruction.code).function();
-    assert(function_expr.id()==ID_symbol);
+    DATA_INVARIANT(
+      function_expr.id()==ID_symbol,
+      "identifier expected to be a symbol");
     const irep_idt &function_name=
       to_symbol_expr(function_expr).get_identifier();
     // use the current information about the callee
@@ -193,7 +195,9 @@ void uncaught_exceptions_analysist::output(
     {
       std::cout << "Uncaught exceptions in function " <<
         it->first << ": " << std::endl;
-      assert(exceptions_map.find(it->first)!=exceptions_map.end());
+      INVARIANT(
+        exceptions_map.find(it->first)!=exceptions_map.end(),
+        "each function expected to be recorded in `exceptions_map`");
       for(auto exc_id : exceptions_map[it->first])
         std::cout << id2string(exc_id) << " ";
       std::cout << std::endl;
diff --git a/src/goto-programs/remove_exceptions.cpp b/src/goto-programs/remove_exceptions.cpp
index 23624eb1686..6b5c90302aa 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/remove_exceptions.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-programs/remove_exceptions.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,9 @@ void remove_exceptionst::add_exceptional_returns(
   const irep_idt &function_id=func_it->first;
   goto_programt &goto_program=func_it->second.body;
 
-  assert(symbol_table.has_symbol(function_id));
+  INVARIANT(
+    symbol_table.has_symbol(function_id),
+    "functions should be recorded in the symbol table");
   const symbolt &function_symbol=symbol_table.lookup(function_id);
 
   // for now only add exceptional returns for Java
@@ -116,7 +118,9 @@ void remove_exceptionst::add_exceptional_returns(
     {
       const exprt &function_expr=
         to_code_function_call(instr_it->code).function();
-      assert(function_expr.id()==ID_symbol);
+      DATA_INVARIANT(
+        function_expr.id()==ID_symbol,
+        "identifier expected to be a symbol");
       const irep_idt &function_name=
         to_symbol_expr(function_expr).get_identifier();
       has_uncaught_exceptions=!exceptions_map[function_name].empty();
@@ -142,7 +146,9 @@ void remove_exceptionst::add_exceptional_returns(
       symbol_tablet::symbolst::iterator s_it=
         symbol_table.symbols.find(function_id);
 
-      assert(s_it!=symbol_table.symbols.end());
+      INVARIANT(
+        s_it!=symbol_table.symbols.end(),
+        "functions should be recorded in the symbol table");
 
       auxiliary_symbolt new_symbol;
       new_symbol.is_static_lifetime=true;
@@ -180,7 +186,7 @@ void remove_exceptionst::instrument_exception_handler(
   const irep_idt &function_id=func_it->first;
   goto_programt &goto_program=func_it->second.body;
 
-  assert(instr_it->type==CATCH && instr_it->code.has_operands());
+  PRECONDITION(instr_it->type==CATCH && instr_it->code.has_operands());
 
   // retrieve the exception variable
   const exprt &exception=instr_it->code.op0();
@@ -226,9 +232,13 @@ static goto_programt::targett get_exceptional_output(
     const irep_idt &statement=it->code.get_statement();
     if(statement==ID_output)
     {
-      assert(it->code.operands().size()>=2);
+      DATA_INVARIANT(
+        it->code.operands().size()>=2,
+        "output expected to have at least 2 operands");
       const exprt &expr=it->code.op1();
-      assert(expr.id()==ID_symbol);
+      DATA_INVARIANT(
+        expr.id()==ID_symbol,
+        "identifier expected to be a symbol");
       const symbol_exprt &symbol=to_symbol_expr(expr);
       if(id2string(symbol.get_identifier()).find(EXC_SUFFIX)
          !=std::string::npos)
@@ -246,7 +256,7 @@ void remove_exceptionst::instrument_throw(
   const remove_exceptionst::stack_catcht &stack_catch,
   std::vector<exprt> &locals)
 {
-  assert(instr_it->type==THROW);
+  PRECONDITION(instr_it->type==THROW);
 
   const exprt &exc_expr=
     uncaught_exceptions_domaint::get_exception_symbol(instr_it->code);
@@ -263,8 +273,6 @@ void remove_exceptionst::instrument_throw(
   goto_programt &goto_program=func_it->second.body;
   const irep_idt &function_id=func_it->first;
 
-  assert(instr_it->code.operands().size()==1);
-
   // find the end of the function
   goto_programt::targett exceptional_output=
     get_exceptional_output(goto_program);
@@ -334,7 +342,7 @@ void remove_exceptionst::instrument_function_call(
   const stack_catcht &stack_catch,
   std::vector<exprt> &locals)
 {
-  assert(instr_it->type==FUNCTION_CALL);
+  PRECONDITION(instr_it->type==FUNCTION_CALL);
 
   goto_programt &goto_program=func_it->second.body;
   const irep_idt &function_id=func_it->first;
@@ -344,7 +352,9 @@ void remove_exceptionst::instrument_function_call(
   next_it++;
 
   code_function_callt &function_call=to_code_function_call(instr_it->code);
-  assert(function_call.function().id()==ID_symbol);
+  DATA_INVARIANT(
+    function_call.function().id()==ID_symbol,
+    "identified expected to be a symbol");
   const irep_idt &callee_id=
     to_symbol_expr(function_call.function()).get_identifier();
 
@@ -480,7 +490,9 @@ void remove_exceptionst::instrument_exceptions(
         // copy targets
         const irept::subt &exception_list=
           instr_it->code.find(ID_exception_list).get_sub();
-        assert(exception_list.size()==instr_it->targets.size());
+        INVARIANT(
+          exception_list.size()==instr_it->targets.size(),
+          "`exception_list` should contain current instruction's targets");
 
         // Fill the map with the catch type and the target
         unsigned i=0;