diff --git a/tools/perf/bench/sched-pipe.c b/tools/perf/bench/sched-pipe.c
index 0c7454f8b8a9..15911e9c587a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/bench/sched-pipe.c
+++ b/tools/perf/bench/sched-pipe.c
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ int bench_sched_pipe(int argc, const char **argv,
 	 * causes error in building environment for perf
 	 */
 	int __used ret, wait_stat;
-	pid_t pid, retpid;
+	pid_t pid, retpid __used;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, options,
 			     bench_sched_pipe_usage, 0);
 
-	assert(!pipe(pipe_1));
-	assert(!pipe(pipe_2));
+	BUG_ON(pipe(pipe_1));
+	BUG_ON(pipe(pipe_2));
 
 	pid = fork();
 	assert(pid >= 0);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/include/linux/kernel.h b/tools/perf/util/include/linux/kernel.h
index b6842c1d02a8..4af9a10cc2d2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/include/linux/kernel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/include/linux/kernel.h
@@ -47,8 +47,12 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifndef BUG_ON
+#ifdef NDEBUG
+#define BUG_ON(cond) do { if (cond) {} } while (0)
+#else
 #define BUG_ON(cond) assert(!(cond))
 #endif
+#endif
 
 /*
  * Both need more care to handle endianness