diff --git a/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/r3_recip.c b/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/r3_recip.c
index fdbe7394c..0631f1fec 100644
--- a/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/r3_recip.c
+++ b/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/r3_recip.c
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ int r3_recip(small *r,const small *s)
   small f[p + 1]; 
   small g[p + 1]; 
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
-  /* TODO(despair): make this a compile-time assertion */
-  assert(LOOPS == loops);
   small u[LOOPS + 1];
   small v[LOOPS + 1];
 #else
diff --git a/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/rq_recip3.c b/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/rq_recip3.c
index 6074eb40c..0eec06ae5 100644
--- a/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/rq_recip3.c
+++ b/crypto/libntrup/src/ref/rq_recip3.c
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@ int rq_recip3(modq *r,const small *s)
   modq f[p + 1]; 
   modq g[p + 1]; 
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
-  /* TODO(despair): make this a compile-time assertion */
-  assert(LOOPS == loops);
   modq u[LOOPS + 1];
   modq v[LOOPS + 1];
 #else