diff --git a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt
index 72615a99108..7586a8568ca 100644
--- a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt
+++ b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ open class Symbols<out T: CommonBackendContext>(val context: T, private val symb
                     Name.identifier("Iterator"), NoLookupLocation.FROM_BACKEND
             ) as ClassDescriptor)
 
+    val asserts = builtInsPackage("kotlin")
+            .getContributedFunctions(Name.identifier("assert"), NoLookupLocation.FROM_BACKEND)
+            .map { symbolTable.referenceFunction(it) }
+
     private fun progression(name: String) = symbolTable.referenceClass(
             builtInsPackage("kotlin", "ranges").getContributedClassifier(
                     Name.identifier(name), NoLookupLocation.FROM_BACKEND
diff --git a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/BuiltinOperatorLowering.kt b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/BuiltinOperatorLowering.kt
index c254708435e..61dac26a686 100644
--- a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/BuiltinOperatorLowering.kt
+++ b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/BuiltinOperatorLowering.kt
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.BodyLoweringPass
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.atMostOne
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.konan.Context
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.konan.KonanConfigKeys.Companion.ENABLE_ASSERTIONS
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.konan.isStdlib
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.konan.isValueType
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.descriptors.IrBuiltinOperatorDescriptor
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.expressions.*
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.util.type
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.visitors.IrElementTransformerVoid
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.visitors.transformChildrenVoid
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.descriptorUtil.fqNameSafe
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.descriptorUtil.module
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.typeUtil.isNothing
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.typeUtil.isSubtypeOf
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.typeUtil.isUnit
@@ -52,17 +54,16 @@ private class BuiltinOperatorTransformer(val context: Context) : IrElementTransf
 
     private val builtIns = context.builtIns
     private val irBuiltins = context.irModule!!.irBuiltins
+    private val enableAssertions = context.config.configuration.getBoolean(ENABLE_ASSERTIONS)
 
-    private val assertFqName = "kotlin.assert"
+    private val assertSymbols = context.ir.symbols.asserts
 
     override fun visitCall(expression: IrCall): IrExpression {
         expression.transformChildrenVoid(this)
         val descriptor = expression.descriptor
 
-        // TODO: use stdlib assert's descriptors instead of fqName
         // Replace assert() call with an empty composite if assertions are not enabled.
-        if (descriptor.fqNameSafe.asString() == assertFqName &&
-                !context.config.configuration.getBoolean(ENABLE_ASSERTIONS)) {
+        if (!enableAssertions && expression.symbol in assertSymbols) {
             assert(expression.type.isUnit())
             return IrCompositeImpl(expression.startOffset, expression.endOffset, expression.type)
         }