diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 20bcb9d8b1..e446fe7370 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -383,6 +383,16 @@ if get_option('buildtype') != 'debug'
         possible_link_flags += '-Wl,--gc-sections'
 endif
 
+if get_option('b_ndebug') == 'true'
+        # With asserts disabled with get a bunch of warnings about variables which
+        # are used only in the asserts. This is not useful at all, so let's just silence
+        # those warnings.
+        possible_cc_flags += [
+                '-Wno-unused-variable',
+                '-Wno-unused-but-set-variable',
+        ]
+endif
+
 add_project_arguments(cc.get_supported_arguments(possible_cc_flags), language : 'c')
 add_project_link_arguments(cc.get_supported_link_arguments(possible_link_flags), language : 'c')
 
diff --git a/src/basic/gcrypt-util.c b/src/basic/gcrypt-util.c
index f304a2bab6..9bab47dd8a 100644
--- a/src/basic/gcrypt-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/gcrypt-util.c
@@ -7,12 +7,10 @@
 #include "hexdecoct.h"
 
 void initialize_libgcrypt(bool secmem) {
-        const char *p;
         if (gcry_control(GCRYCTL_INITIALIZATION_FINISHED_P))
                 return;
 
-        p = gcry_check_version("1.4.5");
-        assert(p);
+        assert_se(gcry_check_version("1.4.5"));
 
         /* Turn off "secmem". Clients which wish to make use of this
          * feature should initialize the library manually */
diff --git a/src/core/mount.c b/src/core/mount.c
index 4fb4b0f81e..965dc51db5 100644
--- a/src/core/mount.c
+++ b/src/core/mount.c
@@ -1919,7 +1919,7 @@ static int mount_kill(Unit *u, KillWho who, int signo, sd_bus_error *error) {
 
         assert(m);
 
-        return unit_kill_common(u, who, signo, -1, MOUNT(u)->control_pid, error);
+        return unit_kill_common(u, who, signo, -1, m->control_pid, error);
 }
 
 static int mount_control_pid(Unit *u) {
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-enumerator.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-enumerator.c
index 4da6e65210..4357860170 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-enumerator.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-enumerator.c
@@ -428,7 +428,6 @@ static bool match_tag(sd_device_enumerator *enumerator, sd_device *device) {
 static bool match_parent(sd_device_enumerator *enumerator, sd_device *device) {
         const char *syspath_parent, *syspath;
         Iterator i;
-        int r;
 
         assert(enumerator);
         assert(device);
@@ -436,8 +435,7 @@ static bool match_parent(sd_device_enumerator *enumerator, sd_device *device) {
         if (set_isempty(enumerator->match_parent))
                 return true;
 
-        r = sd_device_get_syspath(device, &syspath);
-        assert(r >= 0);
+        assert_se(sd_device_get_syspath(device, &syspath) >= 0);
 
         SET_FOREACH(syspath_parent, enumerator->match_parent, i)
                 if (path_startswith(syspath, syspath_parent))
diff --git a/src/network/netdev/fou-tunnel.c b/src/network/netdev/fou-tunnel.c
index 65dad384e2..4dbcb574df 100644
--- a/src/network/netdev/fou-tunnel.c
+++ b/src/network/netdev/fou-tunnel.c
@@ -64,14 +64,10 @@ static int netdev_fill_fou_tunnel_message(NetDev *netdev, sd_netlink_message **r
 static int netdev_fou_tunnel_create(NetDev *netdev) {
         _cleanup_(sd_netlink_message_unrefp) sd_netlink_message *m = NULL;
         uint32_t serial;
-        FouTunnel *t;
         int r;
 
         assert(netdev);
-
-        t = FOU(netdev);
-
-        assert(t);
+        assert(FOU(netdev));
 
         r = netdev_fill_fou_tunnel_message(netdev, &m);
         if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/network/netdev/wireguard.c b/src/network/netdev/wireguard.c
index 73c5402972..03eaac1f9c 100644
--- a/src/network/netdev/wireguard.c
+++ b/src/network/netdev/wireguard.c
@@ -430,11 +430,8 @@ static void resolve_endpoints(NetDev *netdev) {
 }
 
 static int netdev_wireguard_post_create(NetDev *netdev, Link *link, sd_netlink_message *m) {
-        Wireguard *w;
-
         assert(netdev);
-        w = WIREGUARD(netdev);
-        assert(w);
+        assert(WIREGUARD(netdev));
 
         (void) wireguard_set_interface(netdev);
         resolve_endpoints(netdev);
diff --git a/src/shared/fstab-util.h b/src/shared/fstab-util.h
index 9820f78ca8..0862256511 100644
--- a/src/shared/fstab-util.h
+++ b/src/shared/fstab-util.h
@@ -20,14 +20,12 @@ static inline bool fstab_test_option(const char *opts, const char *names) {
 int fstab_find_pri(const char *options, int *ret);
 
 static inline bool fstab_test_yes_no_option(const char *opts, const char *yes_no) {
-        int r;
         const char *opt;
 
         /* If first name given is last, return 1.
          * If second name given is last or neither is found, return 0. */
 
-        r = fstab_filter_options(opts, yes_no, &opt, NULL, NULL);
-        assert(r >= 0);
+        assert_se(fstab_filter_options(opts, yes_no, &opt, NULL, NULL) >= 0);
 
         return opt == yes_no;
 }
diff --git a/src/test/test-terminal-util.c b/src/test/test-terminal-util.c
index 8cd580e719..96d92279fb 100644
--- a/src/test/test-terminal-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-terminal-util.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 #include "util.h"
 
 static void test_default_term_for_tty(void) {
+        log_info("/* %s */", __func__);
+
         puts(default_term_for_tty("/dev/tty23"));
         puts(default_term_for_tty("/dev/ttyS23"));
         puts(default_term_for_tty("/dev/tty0"));
@@ -36,7 +38,9 @@ static void test_read_one_char(void) {
         bool need_nl;
         char name[] = "/tmp/test-read_one_char.XXXXXX";
 
-        assert(fmkostemp_safe(name, "r+", &file) == 0);
+        log_info("/* %s */", __func__);
+
+        assert_se(fmkostemp_safe(name, "r+", &file) == 0);
 
         assert_se(fputs("c\n", file) >= 0);
         rewind(file);
@@ -62,8 +66,12 @@ static void test_getttyname_malloc(void) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *ttyname = NULL;
         _cleanup_close_ int master = -1;
 
+        log_info("/* %s */", __func__);
+
         assert_se((master = posix_openpt(O_RDWR|O_NOCTTY)) >= 0);
         assert_se(getttyname_malloc(master, &ttyname) >= 0);
+        log_info("ttyname = %s", ttyname);
+
         assert_se(PATH_IN_SET(ttyname, "ptmx", "pts/ptmx"));
 }