--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.graph.test/src/com/oracle/graal/graph/test/NodeMapTest.java	Wed Sep 03 18:04:28 2014 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.graph.test/src/com/oracle/graal/graph/test/NodeMapTest.java	Thu Sep 04 12:51:43 2014 +0200
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 import org.junit.*;
 
+import com.oracle.graal.api.runtime.*;
 import com.oracle.graal.graph.*;
 import com.oracle.graal.nodeinfo.*;
 
@@ -47,6 +48,9 @@
 
     @Before
     public void before() {
+        // Need to initialize HotSpotGraalRuntime before any Node class is initialized.
+        Graal.getRuntime();
+
         graph = new Graph();
         for (int i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++) {
             nodes[i] = graph.add(TestNode.create());
@@ -97,24 +101,45 @@
         }
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = AssertionError.class)
+    @SuppressWarnings("all")
+    private static boolean assertionsEnabled() {
+        boolean assertionsEnabled = false;
+        assert assertionsEnabled = true;
+        return assertionsEnabled;
+    }
+
+    @Test
     public void testNewGet() {
         /*
          * Failing here is not required, but if this behavior changes, usages of get need to be
          * checked for compatibility.
          */
         TestNode newNode = graph.add(TestNode.create());
-        map.get(newNode);
+        try {
+            map.get(newNode);
+            fail("expected " + (assertionsEnabled() ? AssertionError.class.getSimpleName() : ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException.class.getSimpleName()));
+        } catch (AssertionError ae) {
+            // thrown when assertions are enabled
+        } catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
+            // thrown when assertions are disabled
+        }
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = AssertionError.class)
+    @Test
     public void testNewSet() {
         /*
          * Failing here is not required, but if this behavior changes, usages of set need to be
          * checked for compatibility.
          */
         TestNode newNode = graph.add(TestNode.create());
-        map.set(newNode, 1);
+        try {
+            map.set(newNode, 1);
+            fail("expected " + (assertionsEnabled() ? AssertionError.class.getSimpleName() : ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException.class.getSimpleName()));
+        } catch (AssertionError ae) {
+            // thrown when assertions are enabled
+        } catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
+            // thrown when assertions are disabled
+        }
     }
 
     @Test

--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.hotspot.test/src/com/oracle/graal/hotspot/test/WriteBarrierVerificationTest.java	Wed Sep 03 18:04:28 2014 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.hotspot.test/src/com/oracle/graal/hotspot/test/WriteBarrierVerificationTest.java	Thu Sep 04 12:51:43 2014 +0200
@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@
             };
 
             DebugConfig debugConfig = DebugScope.getConfig();
-            DebugConfig fixedConfig = Debug.fixedConfig(0, 0, false, false, false, false, debugConfig.dumpHandlers(), debugConfig.verifyHandlers(), debugConfig.output());
+            DebugConfig fixedConfig = debugConfig == null ? null : Debug.fixedConfig(0, 0, false, false, false, false, debugConfig.dumpHandlers(), debugConfig.verifyHandlers(), debugConfig.output());
             try (DebugConfigScope s = Debug.setConfig(fixedConfig)) {
                 ReentrantNodeIterator.apply(closure, graph.start(), false);
                 new WriteBarrierVerificationPhase().apply(graph);

--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.hotspot/src/com/oracle/graal/hotspot/phases/WriteBarrierVerificationPhase.java	Wed Sep 03 18:04:28 2014 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.hotspot/src/com/oracle/graal/hotspot/phases/WriteBarrierVerificationPhase.java	Thu Sep 04 12:51:43 2014 +0200
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@
         Iterator<Node> iterator = frontier.iterator();
         while (iterator.hasNext()) {
             Node currentNode = iterator.next();
-            assert !isSafepoint(currentNode) : "Write barrier must be present " + write;
+            if (isSafepoint(currentNode)) {
+                throw new AssertionError("Write barrier must be present " + write);
+            }
             if (useG1GC()) {
                 if (!(currentNode instanceof G1PostWriteBarrier) || (!validateBarrier((FixedAccessNode) write, (WriteBarrier) currentNode))) {
                     expandFrontier(frontier, currentNode);