diff --git a/include/ucore/utils.h b/include/ucore/utils.h
index 1b3737e..c6f08c1 100644
--- a/include/ucore/utils.h
+++ b/include/ucore/utils.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 //Gnerate a compiler error if the compile time
 //constant expression fails
-#define STATIC_ASSERT(expr) \
+#define UC_STATIC_ASSERT(expr) \
     do { \
         enum { assert_static__ = 1/(expr) }; \
     } while (0)
@@ -58,5 +58,17 @@ typeof( ((type *)0)->member ) *__mptr = (ptr);    \
 #define UC_STRINGIFY(x) UC_STRINGIFY_HLP(x)
 #define UC_STRINGIFY_HLP(x) #x
 
+
+/** 
+ * assert() that is not affected by NDEBUG define
+ */
+#define UC_ASSERT(expr) do {\
+if (!(expr) ) {\
+    fprintf(stderr,\
+    "UC_ASSERT failed '%s' %s:%d\n", UC_STRINGIFY(expr), __FILE__, __LINE__);\
+    uc_backtrace_fd(3);\
+    abort();\
+} while (0)
+
 #endif