diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 222bbedf..a5646bf3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -506,13 +506,13 @@ target_include_directories(OpenSTA
   )
 
 # common to gcc/clang
-set(CXX_FLAGS -Wall -Wextra -pedantic -Wcast-qual -Wredundant-decls -Wformat-security)
+set(CXX_COMMON_FLAGS -Wall -Wextra -pedantic -Wcast-qual -Wredundant-decls -Wformat-security -Wp,-D_GLIBCXX_ASSERTIONS)
 
 target_compile_options(OpenSTA
   PRIVATE
-  $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:${CXX_FLAGS}>
-  $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>:${CXX_FLAGS} -Wno-gnu-zero-variadic-macro-arguments>
-  $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang>:${CXX_FLAGS} -Wno-gnu-zero-variadic-macro-arguments>
+  $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:${CXX_COMMON_FLAGS}>
+  $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>:${CXX_COMMON_FLAGS} -Wno-gnu-zero-variadic-macro-arguments>
+  $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang>:${CXX_COMMON_FLAGS} -Wno-gnu-zero-variadic-macro-arguments>
   )
 
 # Disable compiler specific extensions like gnu++11.