--- gawk-3.1.0/builtin.c-old	Thu Mar 14 22:11:35 2002
+++ gawk-3.1.0/builtin.c	Thu Mar 14 22:11:54 2002
@@ -2277,8 +2277,7 @@
 	short val;
 	char *start = str;
 
-	if (*str == '0' && (str[1] == 'x' || str[1] == 'X')) {
-		assert(len > 2);
+	if (*str == '0' && (str[1] == 'x' || str[1] == 'X') && len > 2) {
 
 		for (str += 2, len -= 2; len > 0; len--, str++) {
 			switch (*str) {