Index: trunk/psphot/src/psphotMagnitudes.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/psphot/src/psphotMagnitudes.c	(revision 12592)
+++ trunk/psphot/src/psphotMagnitudes.c	(revision 12601)
@@ -13,13 +13,11 @@
     pmSourceMagnitudesInit (recipe);
 
-    // XXX require (assert) that we have a background model, or 
+    // XXX require that we have a background model, or 
     // allow it to be missing, setting local sky to 0.0?
-
-    // Get enough information to return sky level
-    assert(background != NULL);
+    PS_ASSERT (background, false);
 
     // the binning details are saved on the analysis metadata 
     psImageBinning *binning = psMetadataLookupPtr(&status, recipe, "PSPHOT.BACKGROUND.BINNING");
-    assert (status == true);
+    PS_ASSERT (status, false);
 
     bool IGNORE_GROWTH = psMetadataLookupBool (&status, recipe, "IGNORE_GROWTH");