diff --git a/src/common/error.cpp b/src/common/error.cpp
index 94f7ca3ed..505e6e130 100644
--- a/src/common/error.cpp
+++ b/src/common/error.cpp
@@ -183,9 +183,10 @@ namespace cinelerra
 
     void assertion_terminate (const string& location)
     {
-      throw Fatal (location, CINELERRA_ERROR_ASSERTION)
-                 .setUsermsg("Program terminated because of violating "
-                             "an internal consistency check.");    
+      Fatal exception (location, CINELERRA_ERROR_ASSERTION);
+            exception.setUsermsg("Program terminated because of violating "
+                                 "an internal consistency check.");
+      throw exception;
     }
     
     
diff --git a/src/common/error.hpp b/src/common/error.hpp
index 3251752df..82a388e50 100644
--- a/src/common/error.hpp
+++ b/src/common/error.hpp
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ namespace cinelerra
     
 /** Macro for creating derived exception classes properly 
  *  integrated into cinelerra's exception hierarchy. Using
- *  this macro asures that the new class will get the full
+ *  this macro ensures that the new class will get the full
  *  set of constructors and behaviour common to all exception
  *  classes, so it should be used when creating an derived
  *  exception type for more then stricly local purposes