diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/events.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/events.d
index c96c060..0cb5b0d 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/events.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/events.d
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ module eventcore.drivers.posix.events;
 import eventcore.driver;
 import eventcore.drivers.posix.driver;
 import eventcore.internal.consumablequeue : ConsumableQueue;
+import eventcore.internal.utils : nogc_assert;
 
 version (linux) {
 	nothrow @nogc extern (C) int eventfd(uint initval, int flags);
@@ -199,13 +200,13 @@ final class PosixEventDriverEvents(Loop : PosixEventLoop, Sockets : EventDriverS
 
 	final override bool releaseRef(EventID descriptor)
 	{
-		assert(getRC(descriptor) > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced event FD.");
+		nogc_assert(getRC(descriptor) > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced event FD.");
 		if (--getRC(descriptor) == 0) {
 			if (!isInternal(descriptor))
 		 		m_loop.m_waiterCount -= getSlot(descriptor).waiters.length;
 			() @trusted nothrow {
 				try .destroy(getSlot(descriptor).waiters);
-				catch (Exception e) assert(false, e.msg);
+				catch (Exception e) nogc_assert(false, e.msg);
 			} ();
 			version (linux) {
 				m_loop.unregisterFD(descriptor, EventMask.read);
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@ final class PosixEventDriverEvents(Loop : PosixEventLoop, Sockets : EventDriverS
 				try {
 					synchronized (m_eventsMutex)
 						m_events.remove(rs);
-				} catch (Exception e) assert(false, e.msg);
+				} catch (Exception e) nogc_assert(false, e.msg);
 			}
 			m_loop.clearFD(descriptor);
 			version (Posix) close(cast(int)descriptor);
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ final class PosixEventDriverEvents(Loop : PosixEventLoop, Sockets : EventDriverS
 
 	private EventSlot* getSlot(EventID id)
 	{
-		assert(id < m_loop.m_fds.length, "Invalid event ID.");
+		nogc_assert(id < m_loop.m_fds.length, "Invalid event ID.");
 		return () @trusted { return &m_loop.m_fds[id].event(); } ();
 	}
 
diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/signals.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/signals.d
index cc57398..4a88c08 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/signals.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/signals.d
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module eventcore.drivers.posix.signals;
 
 import eventcore.driver;
 import eventcore.drivers.posix.driver;
+import eventcore.internal.utils : nogc_assert;
 
 import std.algorithm.comparison : among;
 
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ final class SignalFDEventDriverSignals(Loop : PosixEventLoop) : EventDriverSigna
 	override bool releaseRef(SignalListenID descriptor)
 	{
 		FD fd = cast(FD)descriptor;
-		assert(m_loop.m_fds[fd].common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced event FD.");
+		nogc_assert(m_loop.m_fds[fd].common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced event FD.");
 		if (--m_loop.m_fds[fd].common.refCount == 1) { // NOTE: 1 because setNotifyCallback adds a second reference
 			m_loop.unregisterFD(fd, EventMask.read);
 			m_loop.clearFD(fd);
diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/sockets.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/sockets.d
index 57abd22..d472e44 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/sockets.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/sockets.d
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ final class PosixEventDriverSockets(Loop : PosixEventLoop) : EventDriverSockets
 	{
 		import taggedalgebraic : hasType;
 		auto slot = () @trusted { return &m_loop.m_fds[fd]; } ();
-		assert(slot.common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced socket FD.");
+		nogc_assert(slot.common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced socket FD.");
 		// listening sockets have an incremented the reference count because of setNotifyCallback
 		int base_refcount = slot.specific.hasType!StreamListenSocketSlot ? 1 : 0;
 		if (--slot.common.refCount == base_refcount) {
diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/watchers.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/watchers.d
index 605686a..288af0f 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/watchers.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/posix/watchers.d
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module eventcore.drivers.posix.watchers;
 
 import eventcore.driver;
 import eventcore.drivers.posix.driver;
+import eventcore.internal.utils : nogc_assert;
 
 
 final class InotifyEventDriverWatchers(Events : EventDriverEvents) : EventDriverWatchers
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ final class InotifyEventDriverWatchers(Events : EventDriverEvents) : EventDriver
 	final override bool releaseRef(WatcherID descriptor)
 	{
 		FD fd = cast(FD)descriptor;
-		assert(m_loop.m_fds[fd].common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced event FD.");
+		nogc_assert(m_loop.m_fds[fd].common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced event FD.");
 		if (--m_loop.m_fds[fd].common.refCount == 1) { // NOTE: 1 because setNotifyCallback increments the reference count
 			m_loop.unregisterFD(fd, EventMask.read);
 			m_loop.clearFD(fd);
@@ -281,10 +282,10 @@ final class PollEventDriverWatchers(Events : EventDriverEvents) : EventDriverWat
 
 	final override bool releaseRef(WatcherID descriptor)
 	{
-		assert(descriptor != WatcherID.invalid);
+		nogc_assert(descriptor != WatcherID.invalid, "Invalid directory watcher ID released");
 		auto evt = cast(EventID)descriptor;
 		auto pt = evt in m_pollers;
-		assert(pt !is null);
+		nogc_assert(pt !is null, "Directory watcher polling thread does not exist");
 		if (!m_events.releaseRef(evt)) {
 			pt.dispose();
 			m_pollers.remove(evt);
diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/timer.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/timer.d
index 15277ea..2e1a420 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/timer.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/timer.d
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ module eventcore.drivers.timer;
 
 import eventcore.driver;
 import eventcore.internal.dlist;
+import eventcore.internal.utils : nogc_assert;
 
 
 final class LoopTimeoutTimerDriver : EventDriverTimers {
@@ -143,8 +144,8 @@ final class LoopTimeoutTimerDriver : EventDriverTimers {
 
 	final override bool releaseRef(TimerID descriptor)
 	{
-		assert(descriptor != TimerID.init, "Invalid timer ID.");
-		assert(descriptor in m_timers, "Unknown timer ID.");
+		nogc_assert(descriptor != TimerID.init, "Invalid timer ID.");
+		nogc_assert((descriptor in m_timers) !is null, "Unknown timer ID.");
 		if (descriptor !in m_timers) return true;
 
 		auto tm = m_timers[descriptor];
diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/core.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/core.d
index f485e9f..6dac979 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/core.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/core.d
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ version (Windows):
 import eventcore.driver;
 import eventcore.drivers.timer;
 import eventcore.internal.consumablequeue;
+import eventcore.internal.utils : nogc_assert;
 import eventcore.internal.win32;
 import core.time : Duration;
 import taggedalgebraic;
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ final class WinAPIEventDriverCore : EventDriverCore {
 
 	package void freeSlot(HANDLE h)
 	{
-		assert(h in m_handles, "Handle not in use - cannot free.");
+		nogc_assert((h in m_handles) !is null, "Handle not in use - cannot free.");
 		m_handles.remove(h);
 	}
 }
@@ -214,7 +215,7 @@ private struct HandleSlot {
 
 	bool releaseRef(scope void delegate() @safe nothrow on_free)
 	{
-		assert(refCount > 0);
+		nogc_assert(refCount > 0, "Releasing unreferenced slot.");
 		if (--refCount == 0) {
 			on_free();
 			return false;
diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/events.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/events.d
index c39049a..e71c6cb 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/events.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/events.d
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import eventcore.driver;
 import eventcore.drivers.winapi.core;
 import eventcore.internal.win32;
 import eventcore.internal.consumablequeue;
+import eventcore.internal.utils : nogc_assert;
 
 
 final class WinAPIEventDriverEvents : EventDriverEvents {
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ final class WinAPIEventDriverEvents : EventDriverEvents {
 	override bool releaseRef(EventID descriptor)
 	{
 		auto pe = descriptor in m_events;
-		assert(pe.refCount > 0);
+		nogc_assert(pe.refCount > 0, "Releasing unreference event.");
 		if (--pe.refCount == 0) {
 			// make sure to not leak any waiter references for pending waits
 			foreach (i; 0 .. pe.waiters.length)
diff --git a/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/sockets.d b/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/sockets.d
index 22ed186..8e5eba3 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/sockets.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/drivers/winapi/sockets.d
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ version (Windows):
 import eventcore.driver;
 import eventcore.drivers.winapi.core;
 import eventcore.internal.win32;
-import eventcore.internal.utils : AlgebraicChoppedVector, print;
+import eventcore.internal.utils : AlgebraicChoppedVector, print, nogc_assert;
 import std.socket : Address;
 
 private enum WM_USER_SOCKET = WM_USER + 1;
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ final class WinAPIEventDriverSockets : EventDriverSockets {
 	override bool releaseRef(SocketFD fd)
 	{
 		import taggedalgebraic : hasType;
-		assert(m_sockets[fd].common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced socket FD.");
+		nogc_assert(m_sockets[fd].common.refCount > 0, "Releasing reference to unreferenced socket FD.");
 		if (--m_sockets[fd].common.refCount == 0) {
 			final switch (m_sockets[fd].specific.kind) with (SocketVector.FieldType) {
 				case Kind.none: break;
diff --git a/source/eventcore/internal/utils.d b/source/eventcore/internal/utils.d
index 70b827e..4f56aab 100644
--- a/source/eventcore/internal/utils.d
+++ b/source/eventcore/internal/utils.d
@@ -15,6 +15,28 @@ void print(ARGS...)(string str, ARGS args)
 	r.put('\n');
 }
 
+private extern(C) Throwable.TraceInfo _d_traceContext(void* ptr = null);
+
+void nogc_assert(bool cond, string message, string file = __FILE__, int line = __LINE__)
+@trusted nothrow {
+    import core.stdc.stdlib : abort;
+    import std.stdio : stderr;
+
+    if (!cond) {
+		scope (exit) {
+			abort();
+			assert(false);
+		}
+
+        stderr.writefln("Assertion failure @%s(%s): %s", file, line, message);
+        stderr.writeln("------------------------");
+        if (auto info = _d_traceContext(null)) {
+            foreach (s; info)
+                stderr.writeln(s);
+        } else stderr.writeln("no stack trace available");
+    }
+}
+
 struct StdoutRange {
 	@safe: @nogc: nothrow:
 	import core.stdc.stdio;
@@ -124,7 +146,7 @@ struct ChoppedVector(T, size_t CHUNK_SIZE = 16*64*1024/nextPOT(T.sizeof)) {
 		}
 
 		while (m_chunkCount <= chunkidx) {
-			() @trusted { 
+			() @trusted {
 				auto ptr = cast(ChunkPtr)calloc(chunkSize, T.sizeof);
 				assert(ptr !is null, "Failed to allocate chunk!");
 				// FIXME: initialize with T.init instead of 0