diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/jit_disasm.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/jit_disasm.c
index 71cb258ab0ee..723a9b799a0c 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/jit_disasm.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/jit_disasm.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
-#include <assert.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <bfd.h>
@@ -31,14 +30,18 @@
 #include "json_writer.h"
 #include "main.h"
 
-static void get_exec_path(char *tpath, size_t size)
+static int get_exec_path(char *tpath, size_t size)
 {
 	const char *path = "/proc/self/exe";
 	ssize_t len;
 
 	len = readlink(path, tpath, size - 1);
-	assert(len > 0);
+	if (len <= 0)
+		return -1;
+
 	tpath[len] = 0;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int oper_count;
@@ -99,30 +102,39 @@ static int fprintf_json_styled(void *out,
 	return r;
 }
 
-void disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
-		       const char *arch, const char *disassembler_options,
-		       const struct btf *btf,
-		       const struct bpf_prog_linfo *prog_linfo,
-		       __u64 func_ksym, unsigned int func_idx,
-		       bool linum)
+int disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
+		      const char *arch, const char *disassembler_options,
+		      const struct btf *btf,
+		      const struct bpf_prog_linfo *prog_linfo,
+		      __u64 func_ksym, unsigned int func_idx,
+		      bool linum)
 {
 	const struct bpf_line_info *linfo = NULL;
 	disassembler_ftype disassemble;
+	int count, i, pc = 0, err = -1;
 	struct disassemble_info info;
 	unsigned int nr_skip = 0;
-	int count, i, pc = 0;
 	char tpath[PATH_MAX];
 	bfd *bfdf;
 
 	if (!len)
-		return;
+		return -1;
 
 	memset(tpath, 0, sizeof(tpath));
-	get_exec_path(tpath, sizeof(tpath));
+	if (get_exec_path(tpath, sizeof(tpath))) {
+		p_err("failed to create disasembler (get_exec_path)");
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	bfdf = bfd_openr(tpath, NULL);
-	assert(bfdf);
-	assert(bfd_check_format(bfdf, bfd_object));
+	if (!bfdf) {
+		p_err("failed to create disassembler (bfd_openr)");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	if (!bfd_check_format(bfdf, bfd_object)) {
+		p_err("failed to create disassembler (bfd_check_format)");
+		goto exit_close;
+	}
 
 	if (json_output)
 		init_disassemble_info_compat(&info, stdout,
@@ -141,7 +153,7 @@ void disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
 			bfdf->arch_info = inf;
 		} else {
 			p_err("No libbfd support for %s", arch);
-			return;
+			goto exit_close;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -162,7 +174,10 @@ void disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
 #else
 	disassemble = disassembler(bfdf);
 #endif
-	assert(disassemble);
+	if (!disassemble) {
+		p_err("failed to create disassembler");
+		goto exit_close;
+	}
 
 	if (json_output)
 		jsonw_start_array(json_wtr);
@@ -226,7 +241,11 @@ void disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
 	if (json_output)
 		jsonw_end_array(json_wtr);
 
+	err = 0;
+
+exit_close:
 	bfd_close(bfdf);
+	return err;
 }
 
 int disasm_init(void)
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
index 5e5060c2ac04..c9e171082cf6 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
@@ -173,22 +173,23 @@ int map_parse_fd_and_info(int *argc, char ***argv, void *info, __u32 *info_len);
 
 struct bpf_prog_linfo;
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBBFD_SUPPORT
-void disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
-		       const char *arch, const char *disassembler_options,
-		       const struct btf *btf,
-		       const struct bpf_prog_linfo *prog_linfo,
-		       __u64 func_ksym, unsigned int func_idx,
-		       bool linum);
+int disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
+		      const char *arch, const char *disassembler_options,
+		      const struct btf *btf,
+		      const struct bpf_prog_linfo *prog_linfo,
+		      __u64 func_ksym, unsigned int func_idx,
+		      bool linum);
 int disasm_init(void);
 #else
 static inline
-void disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
-		       const char *arch, const char *disassembler_options,
-		       const struct btf *btf,
-		       const struct bpf_prog_linfo *prog_linfo,
-		       __u64 func_ksym, unsigned int func_idx,
-		       bool linum)
+int disasm_print_insn(unsigned char *image, ssize_t len, int opcodes,
+		      const char *arch, const char *disassembler_options,
+		      const struct btf *btf,
+		      const struct bpf_prog_linfo *prog_linfo,
+		      __u64 func_ksym, unsigned int func_idx,
+		      bool linum)
 {
+	return 0;
 }
 static inline int disasm_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
index 38b6bc9c26c3..a0e573589811 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: (GPL-2.0-only OR BSD-2-Clause)
 /* Copyright (C) 2017-2018 Netronome Systems, Inc. */
 
-#include <assert.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <linux/err.h>
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
index a31ae9f0c307..345dca656a34 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
@@ -822,10 +822,11 @@ prog_dump(struct bpf_prog_info *info, enum dump_mode mode,
 					printf("%s:\n", sym_name);
 				}
 
-				disasm_print_insn(img, lens[i], opcodes,
-						  name, disasm_opt, btf,
-						  prog_linfo, ksyms[i], i,
-						  linum);
+				if (disasm_print_insn(img, lens[i], opcodes,
+						      name, disasm_opt, btf,
+						      prog_linfo, ksyms[i], i,
+						      linum))
+					goto exit_free;
 
 				img += lens[i];
 
@@ -838,8 +839,10 @@ prog_dump(struct bpf_prog_info *info, enum dump_mode mode,
 			if (json_output)
 				jsonw_end_array(json_wtr);
 		} else {
-			disasm_print_insn(buf, member_len, opcodes, name,
-					  disasm_opt, btf, NULL, 0, 0, false);
+			if (disasm_print_insn(buf, member_len, opcodes, name,
+					      disasm_opt, btf, NULL, 0, 0,
+					      false))
+				goto exit_free;
 		}
 	} else if (visual) {
 		if (json_output)
