diff --git a/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/planNodes/SimpleBindingSet.java b/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/planNodes/SimpleBindingSet.java
index cde1a78ed1..09a11ede02 100644
--- a/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/planNodes/SimpleBindingSet.java
+++ b/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/planNodes/SimpleBindingSet.java
@@ -50,9 +50,7 @@ public SimpleBindingSet(Set<String> bindingNamesSet, Binding[] bindings) {
 		assert bindings.length > 0;
 		this.bindingNamesSet = bindingNamesSet;
 		this.bindings = bindings;
-		if (Arrays.stream(bindings).anyMatch(Objects::isNull)) {
-			throw new AssertionError();
-		}
+		assert Arrays.stream(bindings).anyMatch(Objects::isNull);
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/targets/EffectiveTarget.java b/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/targets/EffectiveTarget.java
index d02567858d..f5adcaaeca 100644
--- a/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/targets/EffectiveTarget.java
+++ b/core/sail/shacl/src/main/java/org/eclipse/rdf4j/sail/shacl/ast/targets/EffectiveTarget.java
@@ -465,15 +465,11 @@ public Stream<StatementsAndMatcher> getRoot(ConnectionsGroup connectionsGroup, R
 			if (currentStatementMatcher == rootStatementMatcher) {
 				return null;
 			} else {
-				if (prev == null) {
-					throw new AssertionError();
-				}
+				assert prev != null;
 				if (this.target instanceof SimplePath) {
-					if (!currentStatementMatcher.hasSubset(rootStatementMatcher) &&
-							!prev.var.getName().equals(currentStatementMatcher.getSubjectName()) &&
-							!prev.var.getName().equals(currentStatementMatcher.getObjectName())) {
-						throw new AssertionError();
-					}
+					assert currentStatementMatcher.hasSubset(rootStatementMatcher) ||
+							prev.var.getName().equals(currentStatementMatcher.getSubjectName()) ||
+							prev.var.getName().equals(currentStatementMatcher.getObjectName());
 
 					return null;
 				}