diff --git a/src/rbtree.c b/src/rbtree.c
index d7e7a0d..74974a6 100644
--- a/src/rbtree.c
+++ b/src/rbtree.c
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
  */
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#ifdef __DEBUG__
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#endif
 #include "xalloc.h"
 #include "rbtree.h"
 
@@ -47,6 +51,60 @@ static void node_dealloc(rbnode *n, void (*dealloc)(void *)) {
 	free(n);
 }
 
+#ifdef __DEBUG__
+#define rb_err(msg) fputs("rbtree error: " msg, stderr)
+    
+static int rb_assert_r(rbnode *node, int (*cmp)(const void *, const void *)) {
+	
+	int rh, lh;
+	rbnode *ln, *rn;
+	
+	if (node == NULL)
+		return 1;
+	
+	ln = node->child[0];
+	rn = node->child[1];
+		
+	if (is_red(node)) {
+        /* double red violation */
+		if (is_red(ln) || is_red(rn)) {
+			rb_err("Double red violation");
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+		
+	lh = rb_assert_r(ln, cmp);
+	rh = rb_assert_r(rn, cmp);
+
+    if ( (ln && cmp(ln->key, node->key) >= 0) &&
+         (rn && cmp(rn->key, node->key) <= 0) ) {
+		rb_err("Binary tree violation");
+		return 0;
+	}
+	
+	if (rh != 0 && lh != 0) {
+		
+		if (rh != lh) {
+            rb_err("Black height violation");
+			return 0;
+		}
+		
+		return is_red(node) ? lh : lh+1;
+	}
+	
+	return 0;
+}
+#undef rb_err
+
+static void rb_assert(rbtree *tree) {
+
+    if (!tree || !tree->cmp_fn)
+        return;
+
+    assert(rb_assert_r(tree->root, tree->cmp_fn));
+}
+#endif /* __DEBUG__ */
+
 /*
  * Recursivly walks a tree, applying action function on every node
  */
@@ -112,6 +170,10 @@ void rbtree_walk(rbtree *tree, void (*action)(const void *)) {
 		return;
 			
 	rbwalk(tree->root, action);
+
+#ifdef __DEBUG__
+    rb_assert(tree);
+#endif
 }
 
 void rbtree_free(rbtree *tree) {
@@ -121,6 +183,10 @@ void rbtree_free(rbtree *tree) {
 	
 	node_dealloc(tree->root, tree->delete_fn);
 	tree->root = NULL;
+
+#ifdef __DEBUG__
+    rb_assert(tree);
+#endif
 }
 
 int rbtree_insert(rbtree *tree, const void *key) {
@@ -196,6 +262,10 @@ done:
 	/* root should be black */
 	tree->root->color = RB_BLACK;
 
+#ifdef __DEBUG__
+    rb_assert(tree);
+#endif
+
     return 1;
 }
 
@@ -276,5 +346,9 @@ int rbtree_delete(rbtree *tree, const void *key) {
 	if (tree->root)
 		tree->root->color = RB_BLACK;
 
+#ifdef __DEBUG__
+    rb_assert(tree);
+#endif
+
 	return f != NULL;
 }
diff --git a/test/t_rbtree.c b/test/t_rbtree.c
index 0b2c4cf..8ec9583 100644
--- a/test/t_rbtree.c
+++ b/test/t_rbtree.c
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
 
-/*
- * rb_assert should be called after every rbtree_* operation (not just only the one's
- * that actualy performs changes to the tree) to ensure the tree is valid after the
- * function is done.
- */
-
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -14,8 +8,6 @@
 #define NODES   3000
 #define MAX_VAL (3*(NODES/4))
 
-#define is_red(n) ((n) != NULL && (n)->color == RB_RED)
-
 static int vcmp(const void *a, const void *b);
 static void vdelete(void *ptr);
 
@@ -23,48 +15,6 @@ static void vdelete(void *ptr);
 static rbtree tree = RBTREE_INIT(vdelete, NULL, vcmp);
 static int   keyref[NODES];
 
-static int rb_assert(rbnode *node) {
-	
-	int rh, lh;
-	rbnode *ln, *rn;
-	
-	if (node == NULL) {
-		return 1;
-	}
-	
-	ln = node->child[0];
-	rn = node->child[1];
-		
-	if (is_red(node)) {
-        /* double red violation */
-		if (is_red(ln) || is_red(rn)) {
-			die("Double red");
-			return 0;
-		}
-	}
-		
-	lh = rb_assert(ln);
-	rh = rb_assert(rn);
-
-    if ( (ln != NULL && vcmp(ln->key, node->key) >= 0) &&
-         (rn != NULL && vcmp(rn->key, node->key) <= 0) ) {
-		die("BST violation");
-		return 0;
-	}
-	
-	if (rh != 0 && lh != 0) {
-		
-		if (rh != lh) {
-			die("Black height violation");
-			return 0;
-		}
-		
-		return (is_red(node)) ? lh : lh+1;
-	}
-	
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int vcmp(const void *a, const void *b) {
 
     return *((int*)a) - *((int*)b);
@@ -119,10 +69,8 @@ static void setup(int sorted) {
     if (sorted)
         qsort(keyref, NODES, sizeof(keyref[0]), vcmp);
         
-    for(i=0; i < NODES; i++) {
+    for(i=0; i < NODES; i++)
         rbtree_insert(&tree, &keyref[i]);
-        rb_assert(tree.root);
-    }
 }
 
 static void teardown() {
@@ -130,7 +78,6 @@ static void teardown() {
     int i;
 
     rbtree_free(&tree);
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
 
     for(i=0; i < NODES; i++)
         keyref[i] = -1;
@@ -141,13 +88,10 @@ void test_rbtree_is_empty() {
     setup(0);
 
     assert(rbtree_is_empty(&tree) == 0);
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
 
     rbtree_free(&tree);
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
 
     assert(rbtree_is_empty(&tree));
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
 
     teardown();
 }
@@ -164,13 +108,11 @@ void test_rbtree_delete() {
             continue;
         
         assert(rbtree_delete(&tree, &keyref[i]));
-        rb_assert(tree.root);
     }
 
     /* delete a key that does not exist */
     i = MAX_VAL + 512;
     assert(rbtree_delete(&tree, &i) == 0);
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
 
     teardown();
 }
@@ -187,11 +129,9 @@ void test_rbtree_delete_all() {
             continue;
         
         assert(rbtree_delete(&tree, &keyref[i]));
-        rb_assert(tree.root);
     }
 
     assert(rbtree_is_empty(&tree));
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
 
     teardown();
 }
@@ -201,7 +141,6 @@ void test_rbtree_walk() {
     setup(1);
 
     rbtree_walk(&tree, walk_fn);
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
 
     teardown();
 }
@@ -214,12 +153,10 @@ void test_rbtree_search() {
 
     s = keyref[NODES/2];
     f = rbtree_search(&tree, &s);
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
     assert(f && *f == s);
 
     s = MAX_VAL + 512;
     f = rbtree_search(&tree, &s);
-    rb_assert(tree.root);
     assert(f == NULL);
 
     teardown();