diff --git a/mat.h b/mat.h
index fd9c2fd..4a50635 100644
--- a/mat.h
+++ b/mat.h
@@ -472,9 +472,7 @@ NRMat<T> & NRMat<T>::operator|=(const NRMat<T> &rhs)
 template <typename T>
 void NRMat<T>::copyonwrite()
 {
-#ifdef DEBUG
         if (!count) laerror("Mat::copyonwrite of undefined matrix");
-#endif
         if (*count > 1) {
                 (*count)--;
                 count = new int;
diff --git a/smat.h b/smat.h
index 90108f2..2c7c15f 100644
--- a/smat.h
+++ b/smat.h
@@ -468,9 +468,7 @@ NRSMat<T> & NRSMat<T>::operator=(const NRSMat<T> & rhs)
 template <typename T>
 void NRSMat<T>::copyonwrite()
 {
-#ifdef DEBUG
-        if (!count) laerror("probably an assignment to undefined Smat");
-#endif
+        if (!count) laerror("SMat::copyonwrite() of undefined Smat");
         if (*count > 1) {
                 (*count)--;
                 count = new int;
diff --git a/vec.h b/vec.h
index 4d6a3b2..33c4d86 100644
--- a/vec.h
+++ b/vec.h
@@ -579,9 +579,7 @@ NRVec<T>::~NRVec()
 template <typename T>
 void NRVec<T>::copyonwrite()
 {
-#ifdef DEBUG
-  if(!count) laerror("probably an assignment to undefined vector");
-#endif
+  if(!count) laerror("Vec::copyonwrite() of an undefined vector");
   if(*count > 1)
   {
     (*count)--;