diff --git a/ev.h b/ev.h
index ab30c82..85bf9bd 100644
--- a/ev.h
+++ b/ev.h
@@ -126,11 +126,6 @@ extern "C" {
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
-#if !EV_FEATURE_CODE && !defined (NDEBUG)
-# define NDEBUG 1
-# include <assert.h>
-#endif
-
 typedef double ev_tstamp;
 
 #ifndef EV_ATOMIC_T
diff --git a/ev.pod b/ev.pod
index e5a1391..3b1247a 100644
--- a/ev.pod
+++ b/ev.pod
@@ -3920,11 +3920,9 @@ Use larger code to speed up some operations.
 Currently this is used to override some inlining decisions (enlarging the  roughly
 30% code size on amd64.
 
-Also disables C<assert>'s in the code, unless you define C<NDEBUG>
-explicitly to C<0>.
-
-Use of compiler flags such as C<-Os> with gcc that optimise for size are
-recommended when disabling this feature.
+When optimising for size, use of compiler flags such as C<-Os> with
+gcc recommended, as well as C<-DNDEBUG>, as libev contains a number of
+assertions.
 
 =item C<2> - faster/larger data structures
 
diff --git a/ev_vars.h b/ev_vars.h
index da53ee8..e5f99e4 100644
--- a/ev_vars.h
+++ b/ev_vars.h
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ VARx(ev_io, sigfd_w)
 VARx(sigset_t, sigfd_set)
 #endif
 
-#if EV_MINIMAL < 2 || EV_GENWRAP
+#if EV_FEATURE_API || EV_GENWRAP
 VARx(unsigned int, loop_count) /* total number of loop iterations/blocks */
 VARx(unsigned int, loop_depth) /* #ev_loop enters - #ev_loop leaves */