diff --git a/src/concurrency/Lock.cpp b/src/concurrency/Lock.cpp
index 11501359b..0fe80e455 100644
--- a/src/concurrency/Lock.cpp
+++ b/src/concurrency/Lock.cpp
@@ -9,17 +9,23 @@ namespace concurrency
 Lock::Lock() : handle(xSemaphoreCreateBinary())
 {
     assert(handle);
-    assert(xSemaphoreGive(handle));
+    if (xSemaphoreGive(handle) == false) {
+        abort();
+    }
 }
 
 void Lock::lock()
 {
-    assert(xSemaphoreTake(handle, portMAX_DELAY));
+    if (xSemaphoreTake(handle, portMAX_DELAY) == false) {
+        abort();
+    }
 }
 
 void Lock::unlock()
 {
-    assert(xSemaphoreGive(handle));
+    if (xSemaphoreGive(handle) == false) {
+        abort();
+    }
 }
 #else
 Lock::Lock() {}
diff --git a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
index dca8a3b44..894579a2f 100644
--- a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
+++ b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
@@ -763,7 +763,10 @@ void MQTT::onSend(const meshtastic_MeshPacket &mp_encrypted, const meshtastic_Me
         }
         entry->topic = std::move(topic);
         entry->envBytes.assign(bytes, numBytes);
-        assert(mqttQueue.enqueue(entry, 0));
+        if (mqttQueue.enqueue(entry, 0) == false) {
+            LOG_CRIT("Failed to add a message to mqttQueue!");
+            abort();
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/esp32/main-esp32.cpp b/src/platform/esp32/main-esp32.cpp
index 3c4faac3e..cdea53c9a 100644
--- a/src/platform/esp32/main-esp32.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/esp32/main-esp32.cpp
@@ -56,9 +56,11 @@ void updateBatteryLevel(uint8_t level) {}
 void getMacAddr(uint8_t *dmac)
 {
 #if defined(CONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32C6) && defined(CONFIG_SOC_IEEE802154_SUPPORTED)
-    assert(esp_base_mac_addr_get(dmac) == ESP_OK);
+    auto res = esp_base_mac_addr_get(dmac);
+    assert(res == ESP_OK);
 #else
-    assert(esp_efuse_mac_get_default(dmac) == ESP_OK);
+    auto res = esp_efuse_mac_get_default(dmac);
+    assert(res == ESP_OK);
 #endif
 }