diff --git a/lib/bcoin/address.js b/lib/bcoin/address.js
index e1330273..0f1246d1 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/address.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/address.js
@@ -442,8 +442,9 @@ Address.compileHash = function compileHash(hash, prefixType) {
   prefix = network.address.prefixes[prefixType];
   version = network.address.versions[prefixType];
 
-  assert(prefix != null);
-  assert(hash.length === 20 || hash.length === 32);
+  assert(prefix != null, 'Not a valid address prefix.');
+  assert(hash.length === 20 || hash.length === 32,
+    'Hash is the wrong length.');
 
   size = 1 + hash.length + 4;
 
@@ -489,7 +490,7 @@ Address.parse = function parse(addr, prefixType) {
   prefix = network.address.prefixes[prefixType];
   version = network.address.versions[prefixType];
 
-  assert(prefix != null);
+  assert(prefix != null, 'Not a valid address prefix.');
 
   // prefix
   size = 1;
@@ -506,27 +507,21 @@ Address.parse = function parse(addr, prefixType) {
   else
     size += 20;
 
-  if (addr.length !== size + 4) {
-    utils.debug('Address is not the right length.');
-    return;
-  }
+  assert(addr.length === size + 4, 'Address is not the right length.');
 
-  if (addr[0] !== prefix) {
-    utils.debug('Address is not the right prefix.');
-    return;
-  }
+  assert(addr[0] === prefix, 'Address is not the right prefix.');
 
-  if (version != null && (addr[1] !== version || addr[2] !== 0)) {
-    utils.debug('Address is not the right program version.');
-    return;
+  if (version != null) {
+    assert(addr[1] === version,
+      'Address is not the right program version.');
+    assert(addr[2] === 0,
+      'Address version padding is zero.');
   }
 
   chk = utils.checksum(addr.slice(0, -4));
 
-  if (utils.readU32(chk, 0) !== utils.readU32(addr, size)) {
-    utils.debug('Address checksum failed.');
-    return;
-  }
+  assert(utils.readU32(chk, 0) === utils.readU32(addr, size),
+    'Address checksum failed.');
 
   return {
     type: prefixType,
@@ -539,8 +534,11 @@ Address.validate = function validate(addr, prefix) {
   if (!addr)
     return false;
 
-  if (!Address.parse(addr, prefix))
+  try {
+    Address.parse(addr, prefix);
+  } catch (e) {
     return false;
+  }
 
   return true;
 };
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/mtx.js b/lib/bcoin/mtx.js
index f4302d49..bfe7c0b3 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/mtx.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/mtx.js
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ MTX.prototype.witnessHash = function witnessHash(enc) {
   if (this.isCoinbase()) {
     return enc === 'hex'
       ? utils.toHex(constants.zeroHash)
-      : new Buffer(constants.zeroHash);
+      : utils.slice(constants.zeroHash);
   }
 
   if (!this.hasWitness())
@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ MTX.prototype.scriptInput = function scriptInput(index, addr) {
       redeemScript = addr.program.encode();
       vector = input.witness.items;
       dummy = new Buffer([]);
-      assert(addr.program.code[0] === opcodes.OP_0, 'Non-zero version passed to address.');
+      assert(addr.program.code[0] === opcodes.OP_0,
+        'Non-zero version passed to address.');
       if (addr.program.code[1].length === 32) {
         // P2WSH nested within pay-to-scripthash
         // (it had to be this complicated, didn't it?)
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/script.js b/lib/bcoin/script.js
index afb7c2c9..17f13565 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/script.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/script.js
@@ -1827,10 +1827,6 @@ Script.createOutputScript = function(options) {
     script = Script.createMultisig(keys, m, n);
   } else if (options.address) {
     address = bcoin.address.parse(options.address);
-
-    if (!address)
-      throw new Error(options.address + ' is not a valid address.');
-
     if (address.type === 'pubkeyhash')
       script = Script.createPubkeyhash(address.hash);
     else if (address.type === 'scripthash')
@@ -1838,7 +1834,7 @@ Script.createOutputScript = function(options) {
     else if (address.version !== -1)
       script = Script.createWitnessProgram(address.version, address.hash);
     else
-      throw new Error('Cannot parse address: ' + options.address);
+      assert(false);
   } else if (options.key) {
     script = Script.createPubkey(utils.ensureBuffer(options.key));
   } else if (options.flags) {