diff --git a/src/asm/asmy.y b/src/asm/asmy.y
index abc47825..3200ffd0 100644
--- a/src/asm/asmy.y
+++ b/src/asm/asmy.y
@@ -814,7 +814,11 @@ assert_type	: /* empty */		{ $$ = ASSERT_ERROR; }
 
 assert		: T_POP_ASSERT assert_type relocexpr
 		{
-			if (rpn_isKnown(&$3) && $3.nVal == 0) {
+			if (!rpn_isKnown(&$3)) {
+				if (!out_CreateAssert($2, &$3, ""))
+					yyerror("Assertion creation failed: %s",
+						strerror(errno));
+			} else if ($3.nVal == 0) {
 				switch ($2) {
 					case ASSERT_FATAL:
 						fatalerror("Assertion failed");
@@ -826,16 +830,16 @@ assert		: T_POP_ASSERT assert_type relocexpr
 							"Assertion failed");
 						break;
 				}
-			} else {
-				if (!out_CreateAssert($2, &$3, ""))
-					yyerror("Assertion creation failed: %s",
-						strerror(errno));
 			}
 			rpn_Free(&$3);
 		}
 		| T_POP_ASSERT assert_type relocexpr ',' string
 		{
-			if (rpn_isKnown(&$3) && $3.nVal == 0) {
+			if (!rpn_isKnown(&$3)) {
+				if (!out_CreateAssert($2, &$3, $5))
+					yyerror("Assertion creation failed: %s",
+						strerror(errno));
+			} else if ($3.nVal == 0) {
 				switch ($2) {
 					case ASSERT_FATAL:
 						fatalerror("Assertion failed: %s",
@@ -850,10 +854,6 @@ assert		: T_POP_ASSERT assert_type relocexpr
 							$5);
 						break;
 				}
-			} else {
-				if (!out_CreateAssert($2, &$3, $5))
-					yyerror("Assertion creation failed: %s",
-						strerror(errno));
 			}
 			rpn_Free(&$3);
 		}
diff --git a/test/asm/assert-const.asm b/test/asm/assert-const.asm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f86d93e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/asm/assert-const.asm
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+; The following link-time assertion is known by RGBASM to be okay.
+; This previously caused it to still pass the assertion to RGBLINK with an empty
+; RPN expression
+
+SECTION "rgbasm passing asserts", ROM0[0]
+	db 0
+	assert @
diff --git a/test/asm/assert-const.err b/test/asm/assert-const.err
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/test/asm/assert-const.out b/test/asm/assert-const.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/test/asm/assert-const.out.bin b/test/asm/assert-const.out.bin
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f76dd238
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/asm/assert-const.out.bin differ