diff --git a/pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/runtime/PowerAssertions.java b/pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/runtime/PowerAssertions.java
index 1593b513..bd054639 100644
--- a/pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/runtime/PowerAssertions.java
+++ b/pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/runtime/PowerAssertions.java
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
-import org.pkl.core.PklBugException;
 import org.pkl.core.ast.ConstantValueNode;
 import org.pkl.core.ast.expression.member.InferParentWithinMethodNode;
 import org.pkl.core.ast.expression.member.InferParentWithinObjectMethodNode;
@@ -84,10 +83,7 @@ public class PowerAssertions {
       SourceSection sourceSection,
       Map<Node, List<Object>> trackedValues,
       @Nullable Consumer<AnsiStringBuilder> firstFrameSuffix) {
-    if (!sourceSection.isAvailable()) {
-      throw new PklBugException("Power assertions require an available source section");
-    }
-
+    assert sourceSection.isAvailable() : "Power assertions require an available source section";
     out.appendSandboxed(
         () -> {
           var lines = lines(sourceSection);