diff --git a/lib/checkother.cpp b/lib/checkother.cpp
index ef85d1469..346270f33 100644
--- a/lib/checkother.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkother.cpp
@@ -235,6 +235,9 @@ void CheckOther::checkSelfAssignment()
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void CheckOther::checkAssignmentInAssert()
 {
+    if (!_settings->_checkCodingStyle)
+        return;
+
     const char assertPattern[] = "assert ( %any%";
     const Token *tok = Token::findmatch(_tokenizer->tokens(), assertPattern);
     const Token *endTok = tok ? tok->next()->link() : NULL;
@@ -4185,8 +4188,8 @@ void CheckOther::selfAssignmentError(const Token *tok, const std::string &varnam
 
 void CheckOther::assignmentInAssertError(const Token *tok, const std::string &varname)
 {
-    reportError(tok, Severity::error,
-                "assignmentInAssert", "Assert statement modifies '" + varname + "' instead of just testing it");
+    reportError(tok, Severity::style,
+                "assignmentInAssert", "Assert statement modifies '" + varname + "'. If the modification is needed in release builds there is a bug.");
 }
 
 void CheckOther::misusedScopeObjectError(const Token *tok, const std::string& varname)
diff --git a/test/testother.cpp b/test/testother.cpp
index 5451f18ac..931ddc247 100644
--- a/test/testother.cpp
+++ b/test/testother.cpp
@@ -3181,7 +3181,7 @@ private:
               "    return a;\n"
               "}\n"
              );
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Assert statement modifies 'a' instead of just testing it\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (style) Assert statement modifies 'a'. If the modification is needed in release builds there is a bug.\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void f() {\n"
               "    int a = 0;\n"
@@ -3198,7 +3198,7 @@ private:
               "    return a;\n"
               "}\n"
              );
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Assert statement modifies 'b' instead of just testing it\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (style) Assert statement modifies 'b'. If the modification is needed in release builds there is a bug.\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void f() {\n"
               "    int a = 0;\n"
@@ -3206,7 +3206,7 @@ private:
               "    return a;\n"
               "}\n"
              );
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Assert statement modifies 'a' instead of just testing it\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (style) Assert statement modifies 'a'. If the modification is needed in release builds there is a bug.\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void f() {\n"
               "    int a = 0;\n"
@@ -3214,7 +3214,7 @@ private:
               "    return a;\n"
               "}\n"
              );
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Assert statement modifies 'a' instead of just testing it\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (style) Assert statement modifies 'a'. If the modification is needed in release builds there is a bug.\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void f() {\n"
               "    int a = 0;\n"
@@ -3222,7 +3222,7 @@ private:
               "    return a;\n"
               "}\n"
              );
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Assert statement modifies 'a' instead of just testing it\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (style) Assert statement modifies 'a'. If the modification is needed in release builds there is a bug.\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void f() {\n"
               "    int a = 0;\n"
@@ -3230,7 +3230,7 @@ private:
               "    return a;\n"
               "}\n"
              );
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Assert statement modifies 'a' instead of just testing it\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (style) Assert statement modifies 'a'. If the modification is needed in release builds there is a bug.\n", errout.str());
     }
 };