diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 03cf42f49..19979e1bf 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -93,12 +93,12 @@ if(PROFILE)
 endif()
 
 set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${FLAGS}")
-set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG "${DEBUG_FLAGS} -DSS_DEBUG")
+set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG "${DEBUG_FLAGS} -DSS_DEBUG -DLOG_ASSERT")
 set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE "")
 set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-ggdb")
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${FLAGS}")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${DEBUG_FLAGS} -DSS_DEBUG")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${DEBUG_FLAGS} -DSS_DEBUG -DLOG_ASSERT")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-ggdb")
 
diff --git a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
index db5e79e8c..4a9828ea3 100644
--- a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS OR BUILD_TOOLS)
   elseif(WITH_TCMALLOC)
     target_link_libraries(fullcore ${TCMALLOC_LIBRARIES})
   endif()
-  target_link_libraries(fullcore ${CURL_LIBRARIES} log_manager utils pthread ${EMBEDDED_LIB} ${PCRE_LINK_FLAGS} ssl aio rt crypt dl crypto inih z m stdc++)
+  target_link_libraries(fullcore ${CURL_LIBRARIES} utils log_manager pthread ${EMBEDDED_LIB} ${PCRE_LINK_FLAGS} ssl aio rt crypt dl crypto inih z m stdc++)
 endif()
 
 add_executable(maxscale atomic.c buffer.c spinlock.c gateway.c
diff --git a/server/core/test/CMakeLists.txt b/server/core/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 626a75f3e..82e58919f 100644
--- a/server/core/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/core/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ add_executable(test_adminusers testadminusers.c)
 add_executable(testmemlog testmemlog.c)
 add_executable(testfeedback testfeedback.c)
 target_link_libraries(test_mysql_users MySQLClient fullcore)
-target_link_libraries(test_hash fullcore)
-target_link_libraries(test_hint fullcore)
-target_link_libraries(test_spinlock fullcore)
+target_link_libraries(test_hash fullcore log_manager)
+target_link_libraries(test_hint fullcore log_manager)
+target_link_libraries(test_spinlock fullcore log_manager)
 target_link_libraries(test_filter fullcore)
-target_link_libraries(test_buffer fullcore)
+target_link_libraries(test_buffer fullcore log_manager)
 target_link_libraries(test_dcb fullcore)
 target_link_libraries(test_modutil fullcore)
 target_link_libraries(test_poll fullcore)
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ target_link_libraries(test_service fullcore)
 target_link_libraries(test_server fullcore)
 target_link_libraries(test_users fullcore)
 target_link_libraries(test_adminusers fullcore)
-target_link_libraries(testmemlog fullcore)
+target_link_libraries(testmemlog fullcore log_manager)
 target_link_libraries(testfeedback fullcore)
 add_test(Internal-TestMySQLUsers test_mysql_users)
 add_test(Internal-TestHash test_hash)
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter.c b/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter.c
index 255eb6aba..607a749c2 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter.c
+++ b/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter.c
@@ -464,9 +464,9 @@ bool check_time(char* str)
 
 
 #ifdef SS_DEBUG
-#define CHK_TIMES(t)(ss_dassert(t->tm_sec > -1 && t->tm_sec < 62        \
+#define CHK_TIMES(t) ss_dassert(t->tm_sec > -1 && t->tm_sec < 62        \
                                 && t->tm_min > -1 && t->tm_min < 60     \
-                                && t->tm_hour > -1 && t->tm_hour < 24))
+                                && t->tm_hour > -1 && t->tm_hour < 24)
 #else
 #define CHK_TIMES(t)
 #endif
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
index b36b02753..3739eb054 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
@@ -1883,7 +1883,6 @@ static int routeQuery(
 	bool           	   succp          = false;
 
         CHK_CLIENT_RSES(router_cli_ses);
-
 	/**
 	 * GWBUF is called "type undefined" when the incoming data isn't parsed
 	 * and MySQL packets haven't been extracted to separate buffers. 
@@ -3716,13 +3715,11 @@ static GWBUF* sescmd_cursor_process_replies(
         mysql_sescmd_t*  scmd;
         sescmd_cursor_t* scur;
         ROUTER_CLIENT_SES* ses;
-	ROUTER_INSTANCE* router;
 	
         scur = &bref->bref_sescmd_cur;        
         ss_dassert(SPINLOCK_IS_LOCKED(&(scur->scmd_cur_rses->rses_lock)));
         scmd = sescmd_cursor_get_command(scur);
         ses = (*scur->scmd_cur_ptr_property)->rses_prop_rsession;
-	router = ses->router;
         CHK_GWBUF(replybuf);
         
         /** 
diff --git a/utils/CMakeLists.txt b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
index 8a2cfddb6..32e680221 100644
--- a/utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 add_library(utils skygw_utils.cc)
-target_link_libraries(utils stdc++)
\ No newline at end of file
+add_dependencies(utils log_manager)
+target_link_libraries(utils stdc++ log_manager)
diff --git a/utils/skygw_debug.h b/utils/skygw_debug.h
index fec894f70..89f7a4e00 100644
--- a/utils/skygw_debug.h
+++ b/utils/skygw_debug.h
@@ -50,7 +50,21 @@
 # define ss_prof(exp)
 #endif /* SS_DEBUG || SS_PROF */
 
-#if defined(SS_DEBUG)
+#if defined(SS_DEBUG) && defined(LOG_ASSERT)
+#include <log_manager.h>
+# define ss_dassert(exp) if(!(exp)){(skygw_log_write(LE,\
+                "debug assert %s:%d\n", \
+                (char*)__FILE__, \
+                __LINE__));skygw_log_sync_all();assert(exp);}
+#define ss_info_dassert(exp,info) if(!(exp)){(skygw_log_write(LE,\
+                "debug assert %s:%d %s\n", \
+                (char*)__FILE__, \
+                __LINE__,info));skygw_log_sync_all();assert(exp);}
+# define ss_debug(exp) exp
+# define ss_dfprintf fprintf
+# define ss_dfflush  fflush
+# define ss_dfwrite  fwrite
+#elif defined(SS_DEBUG)
 
 # define ss_debug(exp) exp
 # define ss_dfprintf fprintf