diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d6dc36294..8b2523115 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -164,14 +164,6 @@ endif()
 
 # custom assert control parameters
 
-# Debug assert, if value is OFF debug asserts will be inactive.
-# Default value is ON.
-option(DEBUG_ASSERT "Enable debug assertions" ON)
-message(STATUS "DEBUG_ASSERT: ${DEBUG_ASSERT}")
-if(DEBUG_ASSERT)
-    add_definitions(-DDEBUG_ASSERT_ON)
-endif()
-
 # by default on custom assert only the message, filename and line number will be
 # printed on stderr, if STACKTRACE_ASSERT is ON the whole stacktrace is going to
 # be printed on stderr
diff --git a/src/utils/assert.hpp b/src/utils/assert.hpp
index d4528b513..8957d2229 100644
--- a/src/utils/assert.hpp
+++ b/src/utils/assert.hpp
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
  * @def debug_assert(condition, message)
  * Check that the condition is satisfied, otherwise abort the program.
  *
- * This is like @c permanent_assert, but the @c DEBUG_ASSERT_ON define controls
- * whether this assertion is active. Without the define, @c debug_assert will do
+ * This is like @c permanent_assert, but the @c NDEBUG define controls
+ * whether this assertion is active. With this define, @c debug_assert will do
  * nothing. Therefore, this is more like the standard C @c assert facility and
  * it should be used as such. For example, validating pre and post conditions of
  * a function.
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@
  * @def debug_fail(message)
  * Abort the program with given message.
  *
- * This is like @c permanent_fail, but the @c DEBUG_ASSERT_ON define controls
- * whether this assertion is active. Without the define, @c debug_fail will do
+ * This is like @c permanent_fail, but the @c NDEBUG define controls
+ * whether this assertion is active. With this define, @c debug_fail will do
  * nothing. This should be used like @c debug_assert, but when the condition
  * cannot be a simple expression.
  *
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
  * @sa permanent_fail
  */
 
-#ifdef DEBUG_ASSERT_ON
+#ifndef NDEBUG
 #define debug_assert(condition, message) permanent_assert(condition, message)
 #define debug_fail(message) permanent_fail(message)
 #else