diff --git a/src/backends/mysql/blob.cpp b/src/backends/mysql/blob.cpp
index 4cc1d0618..a6d673aa0 100644
--- a/src/backends/mysql/blob.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/mysql/blob.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <ciso646>
 
 #include <cctype>
-#include <cassert>
 
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
 #pragma warning(push)
@@ -64,8 +63,6 @@ std::size_t mysql_blob_backend::hex_str_size() const
 
 void mysql_blob_backend::write_hex_str(char *buf, std::size_t size) const
 {
-    assert(size >= hex_str_size());
-
     if (size < hex_str_size())
     {
         throw soci_error("MySQL BLOB: Provided buffer is too small to hold hex string");
@@ -114,8 +111,6 @@ void mysql_blob_backend::load_from_hex_str(const char *str, std::size_t length)
 
     if (nBytes > 0)
     {
-        assert(nBytes > 1);
-
         // The first "byte" as detected by above calculation is only the prefix "0x"
         nBytes -= 1;
     }
diff --git a/src/core/blob.cpp b/src/core/blob.cpp
index b5ba6197f..f42930ed7 100644
--- a/src/core/blob.cpp
+++ b/src/core/blob.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include "soci/soci-platform.h"
 
 #include <cstddef>
-#include <cassert>
 
 using namespace soci;
 
@@ -24,13 +23,11 @@ blob::~blob() = default;
 
 std::size_t blob::get_len()
 {
-    assert(backEnd_);
     return backEnd_->get_len();
 }
 
 std::size_t blob::read(std::size_t offset, char *buf, std::size_t toRead)
 {
-    assert(backEnd_);
     SOCI_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_BEGIN
     return backEnd_->read(offset, buf, toRead);
     SOCI_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_END
@@ -39,14 +36,12 @@ std::size_t blob::read(std::size_t offset, char *buf, std::size_t toRead)
 std::size_t blob::read_from_start(char * buf, std::size_t toRead,
     std::size_t offset)
 {
-    assert(backEnd_);
     return backEnd_->read_from_start(buf, toRead, offset);
 }
 
 std::size_t blob::write(
     std::size_t offset, char const * buf, std::size_t toWrite)
 {
-    assert(backEnd_);
     SOCI_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_BEGIN
     return backEnd_->write(offset, buf, toWrite);
     SOCI_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_END
@@ -55,18 +50,15 @@ std::size_t blob::write(
 std::size_t blob::write_from_start(const char * buf, std::size_t toWrite,
     std::size_t offset)
 {
-    assert(backEnd_);
     return backEnd_->write_from_start(buf, toWrite, offset);
 }
 
 std::size_t blob::append(char const * buf, std::size_t toWrite)
 {
-    assert(backEnd_);
     return backEnd_->append(buf, toWrite);
 }
 
 void blob::trim(std::size_t newLen)
 {
-    assert(backEnd_);
     backEnd_->trim(newLen);
 }