diff --git a/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_assertion.h b/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_assertion.h
index e9606f665..8a4d549ad 100644
--- a/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_assertion.h
+++ b/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_assertion.h
@@ -81,6 +81,12 @@
 		std::abort();                                \
 	}
 
+#define FST_FAIL_STRING(s)              \
+	do {                                \
+		std::cerr << (s) << std::endl;  \
+		std::abort();                   \
+	} while (0)
+
 // We turn on all DCHECKs to CHECKs temporarily for better safety.
 #if 1
 #	define FST_DCHECK(a) FST_CHECK(a)
diff --git a/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_variable_info.h b/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_variable_info.h
index 470bb8ef1..0074705b1 100644
--- a/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_variable_info.h
+++ b/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_variable_info.h
@@ -335,10 +335,10 @@ public:
 	// Double variables should not use these array-based emitValueChange overloads.
 	// We implement them to satisfy the VairableInfo::dispatchHelper template instantiation.
 	void emitValueChange(uint64_t, const uint32_t *, EncodingType) {
-		throw std::runtime_error("emitValueChange(uint32_t*) not supported for Double");
+		FST_FAIL_STRING("emitValueChange(uint32_t*) not supported for Double");
 	}
 	void emitValueChange(uint64_t, const uint64_t *, EncodingType) {
-		throw std::runtime_error("emitValueChange(uint64_t*) not supported for Double");
+		FST_FAIL_STRING("emitValueChange(uint64_t*) not supported for Double");
 	}
 
 	void dumpInitialBits(std::vector<uint8_t> &buf) const {
diff --git a/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_writer.cpp b/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_writer.cpp
index 2756e23b9..386a76162 100644
--- a/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_writer.cpp
+++ b/include/fstcpp/fstcpp_writer.cpp
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ Handle Writer::createVar(
 // 	(void)type;
 // 	(void)svt;
 // 	(void)sdt;
-// 	throw std::runtime_error("TODO");
+// 	FST_FAIL_STRING("TODO");
 // 	return 0;
 // }
 // LCOV_EXCL_STOP
@@ -353,11 +353,7 @@ void compressUsingZlib(
 		uncompressed_size,
 		level
 	);
-	if (z_status != Z_OK) {
-		throw std::runtime_error(
-			"Failed to compress data with zlib, error code: " + std::to_string(z_status)
-		);
-	}
+	FST_CHECK_EQ(z_status, Z_OK);
 	compressed_data.resize(compressed_bound);
 }