diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ee58d44cf..ce3ea7b6a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -850,6 +850,12 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_NMTUI, test "$build_nmtui" = yes)
 
 NM_COMPILER_WARNINGS
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(more-asserts,
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-more-asserts], [Enable more assertions for debugging (default: no)]))
+if test "${enable_more_asserts}" = "yes"; then
+    AC_DEFINE(NM_MORE_ASSERTS, [1], [Define if more asserts are enabled])
+fi
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(lto, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-lto], [Enable Link Time Optimization for smaller size (default: no)]))
 if (test "${enable_lto}" = "yes"); then
     CFLAGS="-flto $CFLAGS"
diff --git a/include/nm-utils-internal.h b/include/nm-utils-internal.h
index 7ca44f3c4..49991cfa0 100644
--- a/include/nm-utils-internal.h
+++ b/include/nm-utils-internal.h
@@ -102,6 +102,14 @@
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+#ifdef NM_MORE_ASSERTS
+#define nm_assert(cond) G_STMT_START { g_assert (cond); } G_STMT_END
+#else
+#define nm_assert(cond) G_STMT_START { (void) 0; } G_STMT_END
+#endif
+
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
 #define NM_DEFINE_SINGLETON_INSTANCE(TYPE) \
 static TYPE *singleton_instance