diff --git a/servers/vfs/vnode.c b/servers/vfs/vnode.c
index b98ff2572..9e1a9e03a 100644
--- a/servers/vfs/vnode.c
+++ b/servers/vfs/vnode.c
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 #include <minix/vfsif.h>
 
 /* Is vnode pointer reasonable? */
+#if NDEBUG
+#define SANEVP(v)
+#define CHECKVN(v)
+#define ASSERTVP(v)
+#else
 #define SANEVP(v) ((((v) >= &vnode[0] && (v) < &vnode[NR_VNODES])))
 
 #define BADVP(v, f, l) printf("%s:%d: bad vp %p\n", f, l, v)
@@ -29,6 +34,7 @@
 /* vp check that panics */
 #define ASSERTVP(v) if(!SANEVP(v)) { \
 	BADVP(v, __FILE__, __LINE__); panic("bad vp"); }
+#endif
 
 /*===========================================================================*
  *				get_free_vnode				     *
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index f81646817..724ebdf26 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ AFLAGS += ${SMP_FLAGS}
 MAKECONF?=	/etc/make.conf
 .-include "${MAKECONF}"
 
+.ifdef NOASSERTS
+CFLAGS += -DNDEBUG=1
+.endif
+
 #
 # CPU model, derived from MACHINE_ARCH
 #
diff --git a/tools/chrootmake.sh b/tools/chrootmake.sh
index 4f07698e0..c030dc059 100755
--- a/tools/chrootmake.sh
+++ b/tools/chrootmake.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ then	make $@
 	exit $?
 fi
 
-make world
+make NOASSERTS=yes world
 cd tools 
 rm revision
 rm /boot/image/*