diff --git a/src/galois.c b/src/galois.c
index 6dc4282..cd9faa8 100644
--- a/src/galois.c
+++ b/src/galois.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 #include "galois.h"
 
@@ -78,25 +79,25 @@ gf_t* galois_init_field(int w,
 
   if (w <= 0 || w > 32) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot init default Galois field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   gfp = (gf_t *) malloc(sizeof(gf_t));
   if (!gfp) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot allocate memory for Galois field w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   scratch_size = gf_scratch_size(w, mult_type, region_type, divide_type, arg1, arg2);
   if (!scratch_size) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot get scratch size for base field w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   scratch_memory = malloc(scratch_size);
   if (!scratch_memory) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot get scratch memory for base field w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   if(!gf_init_hard(gfp,
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ gf_t* galois_init_field(int w,
                    scratch_memory))
   {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot init default Galois field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   gfp_is_composite[w] = 0;
@@ -130,25 +131,25 @@ gf_t* galois_init_composite_field(int w,
   
   if (w <= 0 || w > 32) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot init composite field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
   
   gfp = (gf_t *) malloc(sizeof(gf_t));
   if (!gfp) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot allocate memory for Galois field w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   scratch_size = gf_scratch_size(w, GF_MULT_COMPOSITE, region_type, divide_type, degree, 0);
   if (!scratch_size) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot get scratch size for composite field w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   scratch_memory = malloc(scratch_size);
   if (!scratch_memory) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot get scratch memory for composite field w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   if(!gf_init_hard(gfp,
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ gf_t* galois_init_composite_field(int w,
                    scratch_memory))
   {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot init default composite field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
   gfp_is_composite[w] = 1;
   return gfp;
@@ -197,17 +198,17 @@ static void galois_init(int w)
 {
   if (w <= 0 || w > 32) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot init default Galois field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   switch (galois_init_default_field(w)) {
   case ENOMEM:
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot allocate memory for Galois field w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
     break;
   case EINVAL:
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot init default Galois field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
     break;
   }
 }
@@ -246,12 +247,12 @@ void galois_change_technique(gf_t *gf, int w)
 {
   if (w <= 0 || w > 32) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- cannot support Galois field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   if (!is_valid_gf(gf, w)) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR -- overriding with invalid Galois field for w=%d\n", w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   if (gfp_array[w] != NULL) {
diff --git a/src/jerasure.c b/src/jerasure.c
index d8c1179..6874a8a 100644
--- a/src/jerasure.c
+++ b/src/jerasure.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 #include "galois.h"
 #include "jerasure.h"
@@ -311,7 +312,7 @@ void jerasure_matrix_encode(int k, int m, int w, int *matrix,
   
   if (w != 8 && w != 16 && w != 32) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: jerasure_matrix_encode() and w is not 8, 16 or 32\n");
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   for (i = 0; i < m; i++) {
@@ -328,7 +329,7 @@ void jerasure_bitmatrix_dotprod(int k, int w, int *bitmatrix_row,
 
   if (size%(w*packetsize) != 0) {
     fprintf(stderr, "jerasure_bitmatrix_dotprod - size%c(w*packetsize)) must = 0\n", '%');
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   bpptr = (dest_id < k) ? data_ptrs[dest_id] : coding_ptrs[dest_id-k];
@@ -567,7 +568,7 @@ void jerasure_free_schedule_cache(int k, int m, int ***cache)
 
   if (m != 2) {
     fprintf(stderr, "jerasure_free_schedule_cache(): m must equal 2\n");
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   for (e1 = 0; e1 < k+m; e1++) {
@@ -589,7 +590,7 @@ void jerasure_matrix_dotprod(int k, int w, int *matrix_row,
 
   if (w != 1 && w != 8 && w != 16 && w != 32) {
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: jerasure_matrix_dotprod() called and w is not 1, 8, 16 or 32\n");
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   init = 0;
@@ -1456,12 +1457,12 @@ void jerasure_bitmatrix_encode(int k, int m, int w, int *bitmatrix,
 
   if (packetsize%sizeof(long) != 0) {
     fprintf(stderr, "jerasure_bitmatrix_encode - packetsize(%d) %c sizeof(long) != 0\n", packetsize, '%');
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
   if (size%(packetsize*w) != 0) {
     fprintf(stderr, "jerasure_bitmatrix_encode - size(%d) %c (packetsize(%d)*w(%d))) != 0\n", 
          size, '%', packetsize, w);
-    exit(1);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   for (i = 0; i < m; i++) {
diff --git a/src/reed_sol.c b/src/reed_sol.c
index c0dfe83..82edacb 100644
--- a/src/reed_sol.c
+++ b/src/reed_sol.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 #include <gf_complete.h>
 #include "galois.h"
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ void reed_sol_galois_w08_region_multby_2(char *region, int nbytes)
     if (!gf_init_hard(&GF08, 8, GF_MULT_BYTWO_b, GF_REGION_DEFAULT, GF_DIVIDE_DEFAULT,
                       prim08, 0, 0, NULL, NULL)) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: Can't initialize the GF for reed_sol_galois_w08_region_multby_2\n");
-      exit(1);
+      assert(0);
     }
   }
   GF08.multiply_region.w32(&GF08, region, region, 2, nbytes, 0);
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ void reed_sol_galois_w16_region_multby_2(char *region, int nbytes)
     if (!gf_init_hard(&GF16, 16, GF_MULT_BYTWO_b, GF_REGION_DEFAULT, GF_DIVIDE_DEFAULT,
                       prim16, 0, 0, NULL, NULL)) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: Can't initialize the GF for reed_sol_galois_w16_region_multby_2\n");
-      exit(1);
+      assert(0);
     }
   }
   GF16.multiply_region.w32(&GF16, region, region, 2, nbytes, 0);
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ void reed_sol_galois_w32_region_multby_2(char *region, int nbytes)
     if (!gf_init_hard(&GF32, 32, GF_MULT_BYTWO_b, GF_REGION_DEFAULT, GF_DIVIDE_DEFAULT,
                       prim32, 0, 0, NULL, NULL)) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: Can't initialize the GF for reed_sol_galois_w32_region_multby_2\n");
-      exit(1);
+      assert(0);
     }
   }
   GF32.multiply_region.w32(&GF32, region, region, 2, nbytes, 0);
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ int *reed_sol_big_vandermonde_distribution_matrix(int rows, int cols, int w)
     if (j >= rows) {   /* This should never happen if rows/w are correct */
       fprintf(stderr, "reed_sol_big_vandermonde_distribution_matrix(%d,%d,%d) - couldn't make matrix\n", 
              rows, cols, w);
-      exit(1);
+      assert(0);
     }
  
     /* If necessary, swap rows */