diff --git a/include/link/patch.hpp b/include/link/patch.hpp
index 8f9ac48e..557e5281 100644
--- a/include/link/patch.hpp
+++ b/include/link/patch.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,23 @@
 #ifndef RGBDS_LINK_PATCH_HPP
 #define RGBDS_LINK_PATCH_HPP
 
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "link/section.hpp"
+
+struct Symbol;
+
+struct Assertion {
+	Patch patch; // Also used for its `.type`
+	std::string message;
+	// This would be redundant with `patch.pcSection->fileSymbols`, but `section` is sometimes
+	// `nullptr`!
+	std::vector<Symbol> *fileSymbols;
+};
+
+Assertion &patch_AddAssertion();
+
 // Checks all assertions
 void patch_CheckAssertions();
 
diff --git a/include/link/section.hpp b/include/link/section.hpp
index 1872d986..4330a95e 100644
--- a/include/link/section.hpp
+++ b/include/link/section.hpp
@@ -56,15 +56,6 @@ struct Section {
 	std::unique_ptr<Section> nextu; // The next "component" of this unionized sect
 };
 
-struct Assertion {
-	Patch patch; // Also used for its `.type`
-	std::string message;
-	// This would be redundant with `.section->fileSymbols`, but `section` is sometimes `nullptr`!
-	std::vector<Symbol> *fileSymbols;
-};
-
-extern std::deque<Assertion> assertions;
-
 // Execute a callback for each section currently registered.
 // This is to avoid exposing the data structure in which sections are stored.
 void sect_ForEach(void (*callback)(Section &));
diff --git a/src/link/object.cpp b/src/link/object.cpp
index 233da1f7..4c76edc1 100644
--- a/src/link/object.cpp
+++ b/src/link/object.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "link/assign.hpp"
 #include "link/main.hpp"
+#include "link/patch.hpp"
 #include "link/sdas_obj.hpp"
 #include "link/section.hpp"
 #include "link/symbol.hpp"
@@ -544,7 +545,7 @@ void obj_ReadFile(char const *fileName, unsigned int fileID) {
 	tryReadLong(nbAsserts, file, "%s: Cannot read number of assertions: %s", fileName);
 	verbosePrint("Reading %" PRIu32 " assertions...\n", nbAsserts);
 	for (uint32_t i = 0; i < nbAsserts; i++) {
-		Assertion &assertion = assertions.emplace_front();
+		Assertion &assertion = patch_AddAssertion();
 
 		readAssertion(file, assertion, fileName, i, nodes[fileID]);
 		linkPatchToPCSect(assertion.patch, fileSections);
diff --git a/src/link/patch.cpp b/src/link/patch.cpp
index 6d13ec31..c7d60c84 100644
--- a/src/link/patch.cpp
+++ b/src/link/patch.cpp
@@ -459,6 +459,10 @@ static int32_t computeRPNExpr(Patch const &patch, std::vector<Symbol> const &fil
 	return popRPN(patch);
 }
 
+Assertion &patch_AddAssertion() {
+	return assertions.emplace_front();
+}
+
 void patch_CheckAssertions() {
 	verbosePrint("Checking assertions...\n");