diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/io/files/FileTreeWalk.kt b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/io/files/FileTreeWalk.kt
index 2dbddf3a1ee..a489f53f9eb 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/io/files/FileTreeWalk.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/io/files/FileTreeWalk.kt
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class FileTreeWalk private constructor(
     /** Abstract class that encapsulates directory visiting in some order, beginning from a given [rootDir] */
     private abstract class DirectoryState(rootDir: File): WalkState(rootDir) {
         init {
-            if (ASSERTIONS_ENABLED)
+            if (_Assertions.ENABLED)
                 assert(rootDir.isDirectory) { "rootDir must be verified to be directory beforehand." }
         }
     }
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public class FileTreeWalk private constructor(
             private var visited: Boolean = false
 
             init {
-                if (ASSERTIONS_ENABLED)
+                if (_Assertions.ENABLED)
                     assert(rootFile.isFile) { "rootFile must be verified to be file beforehand." }
             }
 
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/util/AssertionsJVM.kt b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/util/AssertionsJVM.kt
index 5c1950657d0..19379779051 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/util/AssertionsJVM.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/util/AssertionsJVM.kt
@@ -3,15 +3,17 @@
 package kotlin
 
 
-private object _Assertions
-
-internal val ASSERTIONS_ENABLED: Boolean = _Assertions.javaClass.desiredAssertionStatus()
+internal object _Assertions {
+    @JvmField
+    internal val ENABLED: Boolean = javaClass.desiredAssertionStatus()
+}
 
 /**
  * Throws an [AssertionError] if the [value] is false
  * and runtime assertions have been enabled on the JVM using the *-ea* JVM option.
  */
-public fun assert(value: Boolean) {
+@kotlin.internal.InlineOnly
+public inline fun assert(value: Boolean) {
     assert(value) { "Assertion failed" }
 }
 
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ public fun assert(value: Boolean) {
 @kotlin.internal.InlineOnly
 public inline fun assert(value: Boolean, lazyMessage: () -> Any) {
     @Suppress("INVISIBLE_MEMBER_FROM_INLINE")
-    if (ASSERTIONS_ENABLED) {
+    if (_Assertions.ENABLED) {
         if (!value) {
             val message = lazyMessage()
             throw AssertionError(message)