diff --git a/dune/common/smartpointer.hh b/dune/common/smartpointer.hh
index df6217e4bc71c905eb8d28cb4be79bfd6ee49b91..3bab268f0df7a73f76382ee2988545defd32662f 100644
--- a/dune/common/smartpointer.hh
+++ b/dune/common/smartpointer.hh
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #ifndef DUNE_SMARTPOINTER_HH
 #define DUNE_SMARTPOINTER_HH
 
+#include <cassert>
+
 #warning This file is deprecated.  Please use shared_ptr.hh instead!
 
 /**