diff --git a/src/streams.h b/src/streams.h
index fdba4622f..9b678b3c0 100644
--- a/src/streams.h
+++ b/src/streams.h
@@ -241,7 +241,9 @@ public:
     CBaseDataStream& ignore(int nSize)
     {
         // Ignore from the beginning of the buffer
-        assert(nSize >= 0);
+        if (nSize < 0) {
+            throw std::ios_base::failure("CDataStream::ignore(): nSize negative");
+        }
         unsigned int nReadPosNext = nReadPos + nSize;
         if (nReadPosNext >= vch.size())
         {