diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 9bd893930..90d3b0fca 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ver 0.16.5 (2010/??/??)
+* configure.ac: disable assertions in the non-debugging build
 * pcm_format: fix 32-to-24 bit conversion (the "silence" bug)
 * input:
   - rewind: reduce heap usage
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1c0a38ce1..9a9576271 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1451,10 +1451,9 @@ dnl CFLAGS
 dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 dnl ---------------------------------- debug ----------------------------------
-#if test "x$enable_debug" = xno; then
-	# don't set NDEBUG for now, until MPD is stable
-	#AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
-#fi
+if test "x$enable_debug" = xno; then
+	AM_CPPFLAGS="$AM_CPPFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
+fi
 
 dnl ----------------------------------- GCC -----------------------------------
 if test x$GCC = xyes