diff --git a/samples/main-debug.cc b/samples/main-debug.cc
index 332e693f2..d10f5169d 100644
--- a/samples/main-debug.cc
+++ b/samples/main-debug.cc
@@ -15,4 +15,11 @@ int main (int argc, int argv)
   foo::OneFunction ();
 
   NS3_DEBUG ("other debug output");
+
+  int a = 0;
+
+  NS3_ASSERT (a == 0);
+  NS3_ASSERT_MSG (a == 0, "my msg");
+  NS3_ASSERT (a != 0)
+  NS3_ASSERT_MSG (a != 0, "my 2 msg");
 }
diff --git a/src/core/debug.cc b/src/core/debug.cc
index addfa6b1c..a0da17a5e 100644
--- a/src/core/debug.cc
+++ b/src/core/debug.cc
@@ -168,6 +168,12 @@ DebugComponentPrintList (void)
     }
 }
 
+void
+AssertBreakpoint (void)
+{
+  int *a = 0;
+  a = 0;
+}
 
 
 }; // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/core/debug.h b/src/core/debug.h
index c64f88e45..458d1f243 100644
--- a/src/core/debug.h
+++ b/src/core/debug.h
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ private:
   bool m_isEnabled;
 };
 
+void AssertBreakpoint (void);
+
 }; // namespace ns3
 
 
@@ -53,10 +55,29 @@ private:
     {						\
       std::cout << x << std::endl;		\
     }
+
+#define NS3_ASSERT(condition)                                   \
+  if (!(condition))                                             \
+    {                                                           \
+      std::cout << "assert failed. file=" << __FILE__ <<        \
+        ", line=" << __LINE__ << ", cond=\""#condition <<       \
+        "\"" << std::endl;                                      \
+      ns3::AssertBreakpoint ();                                 \
+    }
+
+#define NS3_ASSERT_MSG(condition, message) \
+  if (!(condition))                        \
+    {                                      \
+      std::cout << message << std::endl;   \
+      ns3::AssertBreakpoint ();            \
+    }
+
 #else /* NS3_DEBUG_ENABLE */
 
 #define NS3_DEBUG_COMPONENT_DEFINE(name)
 #define NS3_DEBUG(x)
+#define NS3_ASSERT(cond)
+#define NS3_ASSERT_MSG(cond)
 
 #endif /* NS3_DEBUG_ENABLE */