diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index b46eb9c4e3..115cd7c0eb 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2012-04-26  Hans-Peter Nilsson  <hp@axis.com>
+
+	Provide a way for programs to recognize BFD_ASSERT calls.
+	* bfd.c (bfd_assert_handler_type): New API type.
+	(bfd_set_assert_handler, bfd_get_assert_handler): New API functions.
+	(_bfd_assert_handler): New variable.
+	(_bfd_default_assert_handler): New function.
+	(bfd_assert): Call _bfd_assert_handler, not _bfd_error_handler.
+	* libbfd-in.h (_bfd_assert_handler): Declare.
+	* libbfd.h, bfd-in2.h: Regenerate.
+
 2012-04-24  Hans-Peter Nilsson  <hp@axis.com>
 
 	PR ld/13990
diff --git a/bfd/bfd-in2.h b/bfd/bfd-in2.h
index c5d19dce6e..17dbbe1353 100644
--- a/bfd/bfd-in2.h
+++ b/bfd/bfd-in2.h
@@ -5637,6 +5637,15 @@ void bfd_set_error_program_name (const char *);
 
 bfd_error_handler_type bfd_get_error_handler (void);
 
+typedef void (*bfd_assert_handler_type) (const char *bfd_formatmsg,
+                                         const char *bfd_version,
+                                         const char *bfd_file,
+                                         int bfd_line);
+
+bfd_assert_handler_type bfd_set_assert_handler (bfd_assert_handler_type);
+
+bfd_assert_handler_type bfd_get_assert_handler (void);
+
 long bfd_get_reloc_upper_bound (bfd *abfd, asection *sect);
 
 long bfd_canonicalize_reloc
diff --git a/bfd/bfd.c b/bfd/bfd.c
index 7c14c7a00a..227e26bb5e 100644
--- a/bfd/bfd.c
+++ b/bfd/bfd.c
@@ -797,6 +797,88 @@ bfd_get_error_handler (void)
 {
   return _bfd_error_handler;
 }
+
+/*
+SUBSECTION
+	BFD assert handler
+
+	If BFD finds an internal inconsistency, the bfd assert
+	handler is called with information on the BFD version, BFD
+	source file and line.  If this happens, most programs linked
+	against BFD are expected to want to exit with an error, or mark
+	the current BFD operation as failed, so it is recommended to
+	override the default handler, which just calls
+	_bfd_error_handler and continues.
+
+CODE_FRAGMENT
+.
+.typedef void (*bfd_assert_handler_type) (const char *bfd_formatmsg,
+.                                         const char *bfd_version,
+.                                         const char *bfd_file,
+.                                         int bfd_line);
+.
+*/
+
+/* Note the use of bfd_ prefix on the parameter names above: we want to
+   show which one is the message and which is the version by naming the
+   parameters, but avoid polluting the program-using-bfd namespace as
+   the typedef is visible in the exported headers that the program
+   includes.  Below, it's just for consistency.  */
+
+static void
+_bfd_default_assert_handler (const char *bfd_formatmsg,
+			     const char *bfd_version,
+			     const char *bfd_file,
+			     int bfd_line)
+
+{
+  (*_bfd_error_handler) (bfd_formatmsg, bfd_version, bfd_file, bfd_line);
+}
+
+/* Similar to _bfd_error_handler, a program can decide to exit on an
+   internal BFD error.  We use a non-variadic type to simplify passing
+   on parameters to other functions, e.g. _bfd_error_handler.  */
+
+bfd_assert_handler_type _bfd_assert_handler = _bfd_default_assert_handler;
+
+/*
+FUNCTION
+	bfd_set_assert_handler
+
+SYNOPSIS
+	bfd_assert_handler_type bfd_set_assert_handler (bfd_assert_handler_type);
+
+DESCRIPTION
+	Set the BFD assert handler function.  Returns the previous
+	function.
+*/
+
+bfd_assert_handler_type
+bfd_set_assert_handler (bfd_assert_handler_type pnew)
+{
+  bfd_assert_handler_type pold;
+
+  pold = _bfd_assert_handler;
+  _bfd_assert_handler = pnew;
+  return pold;
+}
+
+/*
+FUNCTION
+	bfd_get_assert_handler
+
+SYNOPSIS
+	bfd_assert_handler_type bfd_get_assert_handler (void);
+
+DESCRIPTION
+	Return the BFD assert handler function.
+*/
+
+bfd_assert_handler_type
+bfd_get_assert_handler (void)
+{
+  return _bfd_assert_handler;
+}
 
 /*
 SECTION
@@ -942,8 +1024,14 @@ bfd_set_file_flags (bfd *abfd, flagword flags)
 void
 bfd_assert (const char *file, int line)
 {
-  (*_bfd_error_handler) (_("BFD %s assertion fail %s:%d"),
-			 BFD_VERSION_STRING, file, line);
+  (*_bfd_assert_handler) (_("BFD %s assertion fail %s:%d"),
+			  BFD_VERSION_STRING, file, line);
+
+  /* We used to just return from bfd_assert, but that caused more
+     grief than relief.  The different code paths for bfd_assert and
+     _bfd_abort could be united but keeping them separate can
+     simplify debugging.  */
+  _exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
 /* A more or less friendly abort message.  In libbfd.h abort is
diff --git a/bfd/libbfd-in.h b/bfd/libbfd-in.h
index 640768ee88..45f0b0cf0d 100644
--- a/bfd/libbfd-in.h
+++ b/bfd/libbfd-in.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ extern void *bfd_zmalloc2
 
 extern void _bfd_default_error_handler (const char *s, ...);
 extern bfd_error_handler_type _bfd_error_handler;
+extern bfd_assert_handler_type _bfd_assert_handler;
 
 /* These routines allocate and free things on the BFD's objalloc.  */
 
diff --git a/bfd/libbfd.h b/bfd/libbfd.h
index cc293bca19..ab3c897de0 100644
--- a/bfd/libbfd.h
+++ b/bfd/libbfd.h
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ extern void *bfd_zmalloc2
 
 extern void _bfd_default_error_handler (const char *s, ...);
 extern bfd_error_handler_type _bfd_error_handler;
+extern bfd_assert_handler_type _bfd_assert_handler;
 
 /* These routines allocate and free things on the BFD's objalloc.  */