diff --git a/manifest/fpm.toml.template b/manifest/fpm.toml.template
index aa27529c..3dd2af8a 100644
--- a/manifest/fpm.toml.template
+++ b/manifest/fpm.toml.template
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ maintainer = "fortran@lbl.gov"
 copyright = "2021-2026 The Regents of the University of California, through Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
-assert = {git = "https://github.com/berkeleylab/assert.git", tag = "3.1.0"}
+assert = {git = "https://github.com/berkeleylab/assert.git", tag = "3.1.2"}
 julienne = {git = "https://github.com/berkeleylab/julienne.git", tag = "4.1.0"}
 
 [install]
diff --git a/src/caffeine/program_startup_s.F90 b/src/caffeine/program_startup_s.F90
index 217131e7..89814f45 100644
--- a/src/caffeine/program_startup_s.F90
+++ b/src/caffeine/program_startup_s.F90
@@ -63,10 +63,14 @@ pure function assert_callback_this_image() result(this_image_id)
     pure subroutine assert_callback_error_stop(stop_code_char)
       implicit none
       character(len=*), intent(in) :: stop_code_char
-      character(len=:), allocatable, target :: tmp
-      tmp = stop_code_char
-    
-      call caf_fatal_error(tmp)
+#     if __LFORTRAN__
+        ! LFortran currently miscompiles the call to caf_fatal_error below
+        error stop stop_code_char, quiet=.false.
+#     else
+        character(len=:), allocatable, target :: tmp
+        tmp = stop_code_char
+        call caf_fatal_error(tmp)
+#     endif
     end subroutine
 #else 
     subroutine assert_init()