diff --git a/lib/bcoin/chain.js b/lib/bcoin/chain.js
index 9531c5a7..7a602bfa 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/chain.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/chain.js
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
-var util = require('util');
+var inherits = require('inherits');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
 var bcoin = require('../bcoin');
 var constants = bcoin.protocol.constants;
 var preload = bcoin.protocol.preload;
 var utils = bcoin.utils;
+var assert = utils.assert;
 
 function Chain(options) {
   if (!(this instanceof Chain))
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ function Chain(options) {
   this.loading = false;
   this._init();
 }
-util.inherits(Chain, EventEmitter);
+inherits(Chain, EventEmitter);
 module.exports = Chain;
 
 function compareTs(a, b) {
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/peer.js b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
index 5982864f..9ad848ce 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/peer.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/peer.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
-var util = require('util');
+var inherits = require('inherits');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
 var bcoin = require('../bcoin');
 var utils = bcoin.utils;
+var assert = utils.assert;
 var constants = bcoin.protocol.constants;
 
 // Browserify, I'm looking at you
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ function Peer(pool, socket, options) {
 
   this._init();
 }
-util.inherits(Peer, EventEmitter);
+inherits(Peer, EventEmitter);
 module.exports = Peer;
 
 Peer.prototype._init = function init() {
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/pool.js b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
index 322b0a98..4a7e8a48 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/pool.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/pool.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
 var async = require('async');
-var util = require('util');
+var inherits = require('inherits');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
 var bcoin = require('../bcoin');
 var utils = bcoin.utils;
+var assert = utils.assert;
 
 function Pool(options) {
   if (!(this instanceof Pool))
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function Pool(options) {
 
   this._init();
 }
-util.inherits(Pool, EventEmitter);
+inherits(Pool, EventEmitter);
 module.exports = Pool;
 
 Pool.prototype._init = function _init() {
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js b/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js
index 4fe703ac..4d92074b 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
-
 var bcoin = require('../../bcoin');
 var constants = require('./constants');
 var utils = bcoin.utils;
+var assert = utils.assert;
 
 var writeU32 = utils.writeU32;
 var writeAscii = utils.writeAscii;
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js b/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js
index f307a1a1..8cbafe88 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
-var util = require('util');
+var inherits = require('inherits');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var bn = require('bn.js');
 
 var bcoin = require('../../bcoin');
 var utils = bcoin.utils;
+var assert = utils.assert;
 var constants = require('./constants');
 
 var readU32 = utils.readU32;
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function Parser() {
   this.waiting = 24;
   this.packet = null;
 }
-util.inherits(Parser, EventEmitter);
+inherits(Parser, EventEmitter);
 module.exports = Parser;
 
 Parser.prototype._error = function _error(str) {
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/tx-pool.js b/lib/bcoin/tx-pool.js
index 8f303063..fe9d7ef8 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/tx-pool.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/tx-pool.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
 var bn = require('bn.js');
-var util = require('util');
+var inherits = require('inherits');
 var bcoin = require('../bcoin');
+var assert = bcoin.utils.assert;
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
 function TXPool(wallet) {
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function TXPool(wallet) {
   // Load TXs from storage
   this._init();
 }
-util.inherits(TXPool, EventEmitter);
+inherits(TXPool, EventEmitter);
 module.exports = TXPool;
 
 TXPool.prototype._init = function init() {
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/tx.js b/lib/bcoin/tx.js
index a25a09b7..95ea25bc 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/tx.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/tx.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
 var bn = require('bn.js');
 
 var bcoin = require('../bcoin');
 var utils = bcoin.utils;
+var assert = utils.assert;
 
 function TX(data, block) {
   if (!(this instanceof TX))
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/utils.js b/lib/bcoin/utils.js
index f91b540a..42569dea 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/utils.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/utils.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 var utils = exports;
 
-var assert = require('assert');
 var bn = require('bn.js');
 var hash = require('hash.js');
 
@@ -62,7 +61,7 @@ utils.toBase58 = function toBase58(arr) {
 
     var end = n.cmpn(0) === 0;
 
-    assert.equal(r.length, 1);
+    utils.assert.equal(r.length, 1);
     r = r.words[0];
 
     for (var i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ utils.toBase58 = function toBase58(arr) {
         break;
       res = base58[c] + res;
     }
-    assert.equal(r, 0);
+    utils.assert.equal(r, 0);
   } while (!end);
 
   // Add leading "zeroes"
@@ -332,3 +331,13 @@ utils.revHex = function revHex(s) {
     r = s.slice(i, i + 2) + r;
   return r;
 };
+
+utils.assert = function assert(val, msg) {
+  if (!val)
+    throw new Error(msg || 'Assertion failed');
+}
+
+utils.assert.equal = function assertEqual(l, r, msg) {
+  if (l != r)
+    throw new Error(msg || ('Assertion failed: ' + l + ' != ' + r));
+}
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/wallet.js b/lib/bcoin/wallet.js
index 927d0029..0f8eecfb 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/wallet.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/wallet.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-var assert = require('assert');
 var bcoin = require('../bcoin');
 var hash = require('hash.js');
 var bn = require('bn.js');
-var util = require('util');
+var inherits = require('inherits');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var utils = bcoin.utils;
+var assert = utils.assert;
 
 function Wallet(options, passphrase) {
   if (!(this instanceof Wallet))
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ function Wallet(options, passphrase) {
 
   this._init();
 }
-util.inherits(Wallet, EventEmitter);
+inherits(Wallet, EventEmitter);
 module.exports = Wallet;
 
 Wallet.prototype._init = function init() {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index defe88cc..076922e0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
     "async": "^0.8.0",
     "bn.js": "^0.4.0",
     "elliptic": "^0.10.0",
-    "hash.js": "^0.2.0"
+    "hash.js": "^0.2.0",
+    "inherits": "^2.0.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "browserify": "^3.44.2",