diff --git a/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_sha.c b/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_sha.c
index 7826656..b1d00b3 100644
--- a/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_sha.c
+++ b/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_sha.c
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ bootloader_sha256_handle_t bootloader_sha256_start()
         return NULL;
     }
     mbedtls_sha256_init(ctx);
-    assert(mbedtls_sha256_starts_ret(ctx, false) == 0);
+    int res = mbedtls_sha256_starts_ret(ctx, false);
+    assert(res == 0);
     return ctx;
 }
 
@@ -41,7 +42,8 @@ void bootloader_sha256_data(bootloader_sha256_handle_t handle, const void *data,
 {
     assert(handle != NULL);
     mbedtls_sha256_context *ctx = (mbedtls_sha256_context *)handle;
-    assert(mbedtls_sha256_update_ret(ctx, data, data_len) == 0);
+    int res = mbedtls_sha256_update_ret(ctx, data, data_len);
+    assert(res == 0);
 }
 
 void bootloader_sha256_finish(bootloader_sha256_handle_t handle, uint8_t *digest)
@@ -49,7 +51,8 @@ void bootloader_sha256_finish(bootloader_sha256_handle_t handle, uint8_t *digest
     assert(handle != NULL);
     mbedtls_sha256_context *ctx = (mbedtls_sha256_context *)handle;
     if (digest != NULL) {
-        assert(mbedtls_sha256_finish_ret(ctx, digest) == 0);
+        int res = mbedtls_sha256_finish_ret(ctx, digest);
+        assert(res == 0);
     }
     mbedtls_sha256_free(ctx);
     free(handle);
@@ -191,7 +194,8 @@ bootloader_sha256_handle_t bootloader_sha256_start()
         return NULL;
     }
     mbedtls_sha256_init(ctx);
-    assert(mbedtls_sha256_starts_ret(ctx, false) == 0);
+    int res = mbedtls_sha256_starts_ret(ctx, false);
+    assert(res == 0);
     return ctx;
 }
 
@@ -199,7 +203,8 @@ void bootloader_sha256_data(bootloader_sha256_handle_t handle, const void *data,
 {
     assert(handle != NULL);
     mbedtls_sha256_context *ctx = (mbedtls_sha256_context *)handle;
-    assert(mbedtls_sha256_update_ret(ctx, data, data_len) == 0);
+    int res = mbedtls_sha256_update_ret(ctx, data, data_len);
+    assert(res == 0);
 }
 
 void bootloader_sha256_finish(bootloader_sha256_handle_t handle, uint8_t *digest)
@@ -207,7 +212,8 @@ void bootloader_sha256_finish(bootloader_sha256_handle_t handle, uint8_t *digest
     assert(handle != NULL);
     mbedtls_sha256_context *ctx = (mbedtls_sha256_context *)handle;
     if (digest != NULL) {
-        assert(mbedtls_sha256_finish_ret(ctx, digest) == 0);
+        int res = mbedtls_sha256_finish_ret(ctx, digest);
+        assert(res == 0);
     }
     mbedtls_sha256_free(ctx);
     free(handle);
diff --git a/components/esp8266/source/startup.c b/components/esp8266/source/startup.c
index b9e582c..ab7c34f 100644
--- a/components/esp8266/source/startup.c
+++ b/components/esp8266/source/startup.c
@@ -69,10 +69,12 @@ static void user_init_entry(void *param)
         func[0]();
 
     esp_phy_init_clk();
-    assert(base_gpio_init() == 0);
+    int err = base_gpio_init();
+    assert(err == 0);
 
     if (esp_reset_reason_early() != ESP_RST_FAST_SW) {
-        assert(esp_mac_init() == ESP_OK);
+        err = esp_mac_init();
+        assert(err == ESP_OK);
     }
 
 #if CONFIG_RESET_REASON
@@ -83,7 +85,8 @@ static void user_init_entry(void *param)
     esp_task_wdt_init();
 #endif
 
-    assert(esp_pthread_init() == 0);
+    err = esp_pthread_init();
+    assert(err == 0);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_FAST_BOOT
     REG_CLR_BIT(DPORT_CTL_REG, DPORT_CTL_DOUBLE_CLK);
@@ -101,6 +104,7 @@ static void user_init_entry(void *param)
 void call_start_cpu(size_t start_addr)
 {
     int i;
+    int err;
     int *p;
 
     extern int _bss_start, _bss_end;
@@ -160,12 +164,15 @@ void call_start_cpu(size_t start_addr)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_INIT_OS_BEFORE_START
     extern int __esp_os_init(void);
-    assert(__esp_os_init() == 0);
+    err = __esp_os_init();
+    assert(err == 0);
 #endif
 
-    assert(esp_newlib_init() == 0);
+    err = esp_newlib_init();
+    assert(err == 0);
 
-    assert(xTaskCreate(user_init_entry, "uiT", ESP_TASK_MAIN_STACK, NULL, ESP_TASK_MAIN_PRIO, NULL) == pdPASS);
+    err = xTaskCreate(user_init_entry, "uiT", ESP_TASK_MAIN_STACK, NULL, ESP_TASK_MAIN_PRIO, NULL);
+    assert(err == pdPASS);
 
     vTaskStartScheduler();
 }
diff --git a/components/esp_ringbuf/ringbuf.c b/components/esp_ringbuf/ringbuf.c
index fb6bc07..10b57bd 100644
--- a/components/esp_ringbuf/ringbuf.c
+++ b/components/esp_ringbuf/ringbuf.c
@@ -1063,7 +1063,8 @@ BaseType_t xRingbufferAddToQueueSetRead(RingbufHandle_t xRingbuffer, QueueSetHan
     xReturn = xQueueAddToSet(pxRingbuffer->xItemsBufferedSemaphore, xQueueSet);
     if (xHoldSemaphore == pdTRUE) {
         //Return semaphore if temporarily held
-        configASSERT(xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xItemsBufferedSemaphore) == pdTRUE);
+        int res = xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xItemsBufferedSemaphore);
+        configASSERT(res == pdTRUE);
     }
     taskEXIT_CRITICAL();
     return xReturn;
@@ -1089,7 +1090,8 @@ BaseType_t xRingbufferRemoveFromQueueSetRead(RingbufHandle_t xRingbuffer, QueueS
     xReturn = xQueueRemoveFromSet(pxRingbuffer->xItemsBufferedSemaphore, xQueueSet);
     if (xHoldSemaphore == pdTRUE) {
         //Return semaphore if temporarily held
-        configASSERT(xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xItemsBufferedSemaphore) == pdTRUE);
+        int res = xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xItemsBufferedSemaphore);
+        configASSERT(res == pdTRUE);
     }
     taskEXIT_CRITICAL();
     return xReturn;
@@ -1157,7 +1159,8 @@ BaseType_t xRingbufferAddToQueueSetWrite(RingbufHandle_t xRingbuffer, QueueSetHa
     xReturn = xQueueAddToSet(pxRingbuffer->xFreeSpaceSemaphore, xQueueSet);
     if (xHoldSemaphore == pdTRUE) {
         //Return semaphore is temporarily held
-        configASSERT(xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xFreeSpaceSemaphore) == pdTRUE);
+        int res = xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xFreeSpaceSemaphore);
+        configASSERT(res == pdTRUE);
     }
     portEXIT_CRITICAL();
     return xReturn;
@@ -1176,7 +1179,8 @@ BaseType_t xRingbufferRemoveFromQueueSetWrite(RingbufHandle_t xRingbuffer, Queue
     xReturn = xQueueRemoveFromSet(pxRingbuffer->xFreeSpaceSemaphore, xQueueSet);
     if (xHoldSemaphore == pdTRUE) {
         //Return semaphore is temporarily held
-        configASSERT(xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xFreeSpaceSemaphore) == pdTRUE);
+        int res = xSemaphoreGive(pxRingbuffer->xFreeSpaceSemaphore);
+        configASSERT(res == pdTRUE);
     }
     portEXIT_CRITICAL();
     return xReturn;
diff --git a/components/wifi_provisioning/src/manager.c b/components/wifi_provisioning/src/manager.c
index 6d9e69e..bbb22b7 100644
--- a/components/wifi_provisioning/src/manager.c
+++ b/components/wifi_provisioning/src/manager.c
@@ -35,8 +35,13 @@
 #define WIFI_PROV_MGR_VERSION      "v1.1"
 #define MAX_SCAN_RESULTS           CONFIG_WIFI_PROV_SCAN_MAX_ENTRIES
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
 #define ACQUIRE_LOCK(mux)     assert(xSemaphoreTake(mux, portMAX_DELAY) == pdTRUE)
 #define RELEASE_LOCK(mux)     assert(xSemaphoreGive(mux) == pdTRUE)
+#else
+#define ACQUIRE_LOCK(mux)     xSemaphoreTake(mux, portMAX_DELAY);
+#define RELEASE_LOCK(mux)     xSemaphoreGive(mux);
+#endif
 
 static const char *TAG = "wifi_prov_mgr";
 
@@ -621,8 +626,9 @@ static bool wifi_prov_mgr_stop_service(bool blocking)
          * released - some duration after - returning from a call to
          * wifi_prov_mgr_stop_provisioning(), like when it is called
          * inside a protocomm handler */
-        assert(xTaskCreate(prov_stop_task, "prov_stop_task", 4096, (void *)1,
-                           tskIDLE_PRIORITY, NULL) == pdPASS);
+        int res = xTaskCreate(prov_stop_task, "prov_stop_task", 4096, (void *)1,
+                           tskIDLE_PRIORITY, NULL);
+        assert(res == pdPASS);
         ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Provisioning scheduled for stopping");
     }
     return true;