diff --git a/json_object.c b/json_object.c
index 399d8a4..1394150 100644
--- a/json_object.c
+++ b/json_object.c
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ json_bool json_object_get_boolean(const struct json_object *jso)
 		case json_object_int_type_uint64:
 			return (jso->o.c_int.cint.c_uint64 != 0);
 		default:
-			assert(!"invalid cint_type");
+			json_abort("invalid cint_type");
 		}
 	case json_type_double:
 		return (jso->o.c_double != 0);
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ int64_t json_object_get_int64(const struct json_object *jso)
 				return INT64_MAX;
 			return (int64_t)jso->o.c_int.cint.c_uint64;
 		default:
-			assert(!"invalid cint_type");
+			json_abort("invalid cint_type");
 		}
 	case json_type_double:
 		// INT64_MAX can't be exactly represented as a double
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ uint64_t json_object_get_uint64(const struct json_object *jso)
 		case json_object_int_type_uint64:
 			return jso->o.c_int.cint.c_uint64;
 		default:
-			assert(!"invalid cint_type");
+			json_abort("invalid cint_type");
 		}
 	case json_type_double:
 		// UINT64_MAX can't be exactly represented as a double
@@ -836,7 +836,7 @@ int json_object_int_inc(struct json_object *jso, int64_t val) {
 		}
 		return 1;
 	default:
-		assert(!"invalid cint_type");
+		json_abort("invalid cint_type");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1067,7 +1067,7 @@ double json_object_get_double(const struct json_object *jso)
     case json_object_int_type_uint64:
       return jso->o.c_int.cint.c_uint64;
     default:
-      assert(!"invalid cint_type");
+      json_abort("invalid cint_type");
     }
   case json_type_boolean:
     return jso->o.c_boolean;
diff --git a/json_util.c b/json_util.c
index 1c1fa46..b7c25af 100644
--- a/json_util.c
+++ b/json_util.c
@@ -282,3 +282,10 @@ const char *json_type_to_name(enum json_type o_type)
 	return json_type_name[o_type];
 }
 
+void json_abort(const char *message)
+{
+    if (message != NULL)
+        fprintf (stderr, "json-c aborts with error: %s\n", message);
+    abort();
+}
+
diff --git a/json_util.h b/json_util.h
index 43adca9..83ff62f 100644
--- a/json_util.h
+++ b/json_util.h
@@ -112,6 +112,23 @@ JSON_EXPORT int json_parse_double(const char *buf, double *retval);
  */
 JSON_EXPORT const char *json_type_to_name(enum json_type o_type);
 
+#ifndef JSON_NORETURN
+#if defined(_MSC_VER)
+#define JSON_NORETURN __declspec(noreturn)
+#else
+/* 'cold' attribute is for optimization, telling the computer this code
+ * path is unlikely.
+ */
+#define JSON_NORETURN __attribute__ ((noreturn, cold))
+#endif
+#endif
+/**
+ * Abort and optionally print a message on standard error.
+ * This should be used rather than assert() for unconditional abortion
+ * (in particular for code paths which are never supposed to be run).
+ * */
+JSON_NORETURN JSON_EXPORT void json_abort(const char *message);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif