--- old/src/jdk.internal.vm.compiler/share/classes/org.graalvm.compiler.core.common/src/org/graalvm/compiler/core/common/util/CompilationAlarm.java	2017-12-13 08:52:24.000000000 -0800
+++ new/src/jdk.internal.vm.compiler/share/classes/org.graalvm.compiler.core.common/src/org/graalvm/compiler/core/common/util/CompilationAlarm.java	2017-12-13 08:52:24.000000000 -0800
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
  */
 package org.graalvm.compiler.core.common.util;
 
+import org.graalvm.compiler.debug.Assertions;
 import org.graalvm.compiler.options.Option;
 import org.graalvm.compiler.options.OptionKey;
 import org.graalvm.compiler.options.OptionType;
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@
 
     public static class Options {
         // @formatter:off
-        @Option(help = "Time limit in seconds before a compilation expires (0 to disable the limit).", type = OptionType.Debug)
+        @Option(help = "Time limit in seconds before a compilation expires (0 to disable the limit). " +
+                       "The compilation alarm will be implicitly disabled if assertions are enabled.", type = OptionType.Debug)
         public static final OptionKey<Integer> CompilationExpirationPeriod = new OptionKey<>(300);
         // @formatter:on
     }
@@ -85,15 +87,16 @@
 
     /**
      * Starts an alarm for setting a time limit on a compilation if there isn't already an active
-     * alarm and {@link CompilationAlarm.Options#CompilationExpirationPeriod}{@code > 0}. The
-     * returned value can be used in a try-with-resource statement to disable the alarm once the
-     * compilation is finished.
+     * alarm, if assertions are disabled and
+     * {@link CompilationAlarm.Options#CompilationExpirationPeriod}{@code > 0}. The returned value
+     * can be used in a try-with-resource statement to disable the alarm once the compilation is
+     * finished.
      *
      * @return a {@link CompilationAlarm} if there was no current alarm for the calling thread
      *         before this call otherwise {@code null}
      */
     public static CompilationAlarm trackCompilationPeriod(OptionValues options) {
-        int period = Options.CompilationExpirationPeriod.getValue(options);
+        int period = Assertions.assertionsEnabled() ? 0 : Options.CompilationExpirationPeriod.getValue(options);
         if (period > 0) {
             CompilationAlarm current = currentAlarm.get();
             if (current == null) {
@@ -105,4 +108,5 @@
         }
         return null;
     }
+
 }