diff --git a/libgfortran/ChangeLog b/libgfortran/ChangeLog
index 3dd2718b9d7..be954b64e92 100644
--- a/libgfortran/ChangeLog
+++ b/libgfortran/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2017-09-24  Dominique d'Humieres  <dominiq@lps.ens.fr>
+
+	PR libgfortran/79612
+	* runtime/bounds.c: Use GFC_ASSERT.
+
 2017-09-10  Paul Thomas  <pault@gcc.gnu.org>
 
 	PR fortran/34640
diff --git a/libgfortran/runtime/bounds.c b/libgfortran/runtime/bounds.c
index ffa09628b64..376b9d7363f 100644
--- a/libgfortran/runtime/bounds.c
+++ b/libgfortran/runtime/bounds.c
@@ -40,9 +40,8 @@ bounds_iforeach_return (array_t *retarray, array_t *array, const char *name)
 
   ret_rank = GFC_DESCRIPTOR_RANK (retarray);
 
-  if (ret_rank != 1)
-    runtime_error ("Incorrect rank of return array in %s intrinsic:"
-		   "is %ld, should be 1", name, (long int) ret_rank);
+  /* ret_rank should always be 1, otherwise there is an internal error */
+  GFC_ASSERT(ret_rank == 1);
 
   rank = GFC_DESCRIPTOR_RANK (array);
   ret_extent = GFC_DESCRIPTOR_EXTENT(retarray,0);