diff --git a/Eigen/Core b/Eigen/Core
index 8567e294c..29b3a2ac1 100644
--- a/Eigen/Core
+++ b/Eigen/Core
@@ -156,9 +156,13 @@
 // for min/max:
 #include <algorithm>
 
+#if !EIGEN_SAFE_TO_USE_STANDARD_ASSERT_MACRO
+#include <iostream> // for custom assert implementation
+#endif
+
 // for outputting debug info
 #ifdef EIGEN_DEBUG_ASSIGN
-#include<iostream>
+#include <iostream>
 #endif
 
 // required for __cpuid, needs to be included after cmath
diff --git a/Eigen/src/Core/util/Macros.h b/Eigen/src/Core/util/Macros.h
index 6a30f6bed..020cf2cb7 100644
--- a/Eigen/src/Core/util/Macros.h
+++ b/Eigen/src/Core/util/Macros.h
@@ -34,10 +34,23 @@
                                       (EIGEN_MAJOR_VERSION>y || (EIGEN_MAJOR_VERSION>=y && \
                                                                  EIGEN_MINOR_VERSION>=z))))
 #ifdef __GNUC__
-  #define EIGEN_GNUC_AT_LEAST(x,y) ((__GNUC__>=x && __GNUC_MINOR__>=y) || __GNUC__>x)
+  #define EIGEN_GNUC_AT_LEAST(x,y) ((__GNUC__==x && __GNUC_MINOR__>=y) || __GNUC__>x)
 #else
   #define EIGEN_GNUC_AT_LEAST(x,y) 0
 #endif
+ 
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+  #define EIGEN_GNUC_AT_MOST(x,y) ((__GNUC__==x && __GNUC_MINOR__<=y) || __GNUC__<x)
+#else
+  #define EIGEN_GNUC_AT_MOST(x,y) 0
+#endif
+
+#if EIGEN_GNUC_AT_MOST(4,3)
+  // see bug 89
+  #define EIGEN_SAFE_TO_USE_STANDARD_ASSERT_MACRO 0
+#else
+  #define EIGEN_SAFE_TO_USE_STANDARD_ASSERT_MACRO 1
+#endif
 
 #if defined(__GNUC__) && (__GNUC__ <= 3)
 #define EIGEN_GCC3_OR_OLDER 1
@@ -109,31 +122,13 @@
 
 #define EIGEN_DEBUG_VAR(x) std::cerr << #x << " = " << x << std::endl;
 
-#ifdef NDEBUG
-# ifndef EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
-#  define EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
-# endif
-#endif
+// concatenate two tokens
+#define EIGEN_CAT2(a,b) a ## b
+#define EIGEN_CAT(a,b) EIGEN_CAT2(a,b)
 
-#ifndef eigen_assert
-#ifdef EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
-#define eigen_assert(x)
-#else
-#define eigen_assert(x) assert(x)
-#endif
-#endif
-
-#ifdef EIGEN_INTERNAL_DEBUGGING
-#define eigen_internal_assert(x) eigen_assert(x)
-#else
-#define eigen_internal_assert(x)
-#endif
-
-#ifdef EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
-#define EIGEN_ONLY_USED_FOR_DEBUG(x) (void)x
-#else
-#define EIGEN_ONLY_USED_FOR_DEBUG(x)
-#endif
+// convert a token to a string
+#define EIGEN_MAKESTRING2(a) #a
+#define EIGEN_MAKESTRING(a) EIGEN_MAKESTRING2(a)
 
 // EIGEN_ALWAYS_INLINE_ATTRIB should be use in the declaration of function
 // which should be inlined even in debug mode.
@@ -175,6 +170,64 @@
 #define EIGEN_DECLARE_FUNCTION_ALLOWING_MULTIPLE_DEFINITIONS
 #define EIGEN_DEFINE_FUNCTION_ALLOWING_MULTIPLE_DEFINITIONS inline
 
+#ifdef NDEBUG
+# ifndef EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
+#  define EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
+# endif
+#endif
+
+// eigen_plain_assert is where we implement the workaround for the assert() bug in GCC <= 4.3, see bug 89
+#ifdef EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
+  #define eigen_plain_assert(x)
+#else
+  #if EIGEN_SAFE_TO_USE_STANDARD_ASSERT_MACRO
+    namespace Eigen {
+    namespace internal {
+    inline bool copy_bool(bool b) { return b; }
+    }
+    }
+    #define eigen_plain_assert(x) assert(x)
+  #else
+    // work around bug 89
+    namespace Eigen {
+    namespace internal {
+    // trivial function copying a bool. Must be EIGEN_DONT_INLINE, so we implement it after including Eigen headers.
+    // see bug 89.
+    namespace {
+    EIGEN_DONT_INLINE bool copy_bool(bool b) { return b; }
+    }
+    inline void assert_fail(const char *condition, const char *function, const char *file, int line)
+    {
+      std::cerr << "assertion failed: " << condition << " in function " << function << " at " << file << ":" << line << std::endl;
+      abort();
+    }
+    }
+    }
+    #define eigen_plain_assert(x) \
+      do { \
+        if(!Eigen::internal::copy_bool(x)) \
+          Eigen::internal::assert_fail(EIGEN_MAKESTRING(x), __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, __FILE__, __LINE__); \
+      } while(false)
+  #endif
+#endif
+
+// eigen_assert can be overridden
+#ifndef eigen_assert
+#define eigen_assert(x) eigen_plain_assert(x)
+#endif
+
+#ifdef EIGEN_INTERNAL_DEBUGGING
+#define eigen_internal_assert(x) eigen_assert(x)
+#else
+#define eigen_internal_assert(x)
+#endif
+
+#ifdef EIGEN_NO_DEBUG
+#define EIGEN_ONLY_USED_FOR_DEBUG(x) (void)x
+#else
+#define EIGEN_ONLY_USED_FOR_DEBUG(x)
+#endif
+
 #if (defined __GNUC__)
 #define EIGEN_DEPRECATED __attribute__((deprecated))
 #elif (defined _MSC_VER)
@@ -244,14 +297,6 @@
 // just an empty macro !
 #define EIGEN_EMPTY
 
-// concatenate two tokens
-#define EIGEN_CAT2(a,b) a ## b
-#define EIGEN_CAT(a,b) EIGEN_CAT2(a,b)
-
-// convert a token to a string
-#define EIGEN_MAKESTRING2(a) #a
-#define EIGEN_MAKESTRING(a) EIGEN_MAKESTRING2(a)
-
 #if defined(_MSC_VER) && (!defined(__INTEL_COMPILER))
 #define EIGEN_INHERIT_ASSIGNMENT_EQUAL_OPERATOR(Derived) \
   using Base::operator =;
diff --git a/test/main.h b/test/main.h
index 461c2500d..378edc5ed 100644
--- a/test/main.h
+++ b/test/main.h
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ namespace Eigen
       ~eigen_assert_exception() { Eigen::no_more_assert = false; }
     };
   }
-
   // If EIGEN_DEBUG_ASSERTS is defined and if no assertion is triggered while
   // one should have been, then the list of excecuted assertions is printed out.
   //
@@ -91,11 +90,10 @@ namespace Eigen
     {
       namespace internal
       {
-	static bool push_assert = false;
+        static bool push_assert = false;
       }
       static std::vector<std::string> eigen_assert_list;
     }
-
     #define eigen_assert(a)                       \
       if( (!(a)) && (!no_more_assert) )     \
       { \
@@ -129,17 +127,16 @@ namespace Eigen
       }
 
   #else // EIGEN_DEBUG_ASSERTS
-
+    // see bug 89. The copy_bool here is working around a bug in gcc <= 4.3
     #define eigen_assert(a) \
-      if( (!(a)) && (!no_more_assert) )       \
+      if( (!Eigen::internal::copy_bool(a)) && (!no_more_assert) )\
       {                                       \
         Eigen::no_more_assert = true;         \
         if(report_on_cerr_on_assert_failure)  \
-          assert(a);                          \
+          eigen_plain_assert(a);              \
         else                                  \
           throw Eigen::eigen_assert_exception(); \
       }
-
     #define VERIFY_RAISES_ASSERT(a) {                             \
         Eigen::no_more_assert = false;                            \
         Eigen::report_on_cerr_on_assert_failure = false;          \
@@ -165,7 +162,6 @@ namespace Eigen
 #define EIGEN_INTERNAL_DEBUGGING
 #include <Eigen/QR> // required for createRandomPIMatrixOfRank
 
-
 static void verify_impl(bool condition, const char *testname, const char *file, int line, const char *condition_as_string)
 {
   if (!condition)
@@ -176,7 +172,8 @@ static void verify_impl(bool condition, const char *testname, const char *file,
   }
 }
 
-#define VERIFY(a) verify_impl(a, g_test_stack.back().c_str(), __FILE__, __LINE__, EI_PP_MAKE_STRING(a))
+#define VERIFY(a) assert(a)
+//#define VERIFY(a) verify_impl(a, g_test_stack.back().c_str(), __FILE__, __LINE__, EI_PP_MAKE_STRING(a))
 
 #define VERIFY_IS_EQUAL(a, b) VERIFY(test_is_equal(a, b))
 #define VERIFY_IS_APPROX(a, b) VERIFY(test_isApprox(a, b))