diff --git a/servers/slapd/schema_init.c b/servers/slapd/schema_init.c
index cfaf519ea9..ca2481a595 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/schema_init.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/schema_init.c
@@ -3015,12 +3015,14 @@ UUIDNormalize(
 
 	if ( SLAP_MR_IS_DENORMALIZE( usage ) ) {
 		/* NOTE: must be a normalized UUID */
-		assert( val->bv_len == 16 );
+		if( val->bv_len != 16 )
+			return LDAP_INVALID_SYNTAX;
 
 		normalized->bv_val = slap_sl_malloc( LDAP_LUTIL_UUIDSTR_BUFSIZE, ctx );
 		normalized->bv_len = lutil_uuidstr_from_normalized( val->bv_val,
 			val->bv_len, normalized->bv_val, LDAP_LUTIL_UUIDSTR_BUFSIZE );
-		assert( normalized->bv_len == STRLENOF( "BADBADBA-DBAD-0123-4567-BADBADBADBAD" ) );
+		if( normalized->bv_len != STRLENOF( "BADBADBA-DBAD-0123-4567-BADBADBADBAD" ) )
+			return LDAP_INVALID_SYNTAX;
 
 		return LDAP_SUCCESS;
 	}