diff --git a/Lib/java/director.swg b/Lib/java/director.swg
index 522e46722..dd20700d7 100644
--- a/Lib/java/director.swg
+++ b/Lib/java/director.swg
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ class __DIRECTOR__ {
 private:
   /* pointer to java virtual machine */
   JavaVM       *__jvm;
-  /* the default constructor should not be called */
-  __DIRECTOR__();
 
 protected:
   /* pointer to the wrapped java object */
@@ -27,13 +25,11 @@ protected:
   /* Acquire Java VM environment from Java VM */
   JNIEnv *__acquire_jenv() const {
     JNIEnv *env;
-    assert(__jvm);
     __jvm->AttachCurrentThread((void **) &env, NULL);
     return env;
   }
 
 public:
-  /* Default constructor */
   __DIRECTOR__(JNIEnv *jenv):
     __jvm((JavaVM *) NULL),
     __self(NULL)
diff --git a/Lib/java/javahead.swg b/Lib/java/javahead.swg
index cc1592395..872d56d7a 100644
--- a/Lib/java/javahead.swg
+++ b/Lib/java/javahead.swg
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <jni.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <assert.h>
 %}
 
 %insert(runtime) %{
diff --git a/Lib/ocaml/director.swg b/Lib/ocaml/director.swg
index 282fc147c..4e1a1dc78 100644
--- a/Lib/ocaml/director.swg
+++ b/Lib/ocaml/director.swg
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 %insert(runtime) %{
 
-#include <assert.h>
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 
 #include <string>
@@ -61,11 +60,6 @@ private:
 #endif
 
 public:
-    /* the default constructor should not be called */
-    __DIRECTOR__() { 
-	assert(0); 
-    }
-    
     /* wrap a ocaml object, optionally taking ownership */
     __DIRECTOR__(CAML_VALUE self, int disown): _self(self), _disown(disown) {
 	register_global_root(&_self);
@@ -125,7 +119,6 @@ public:
     /* acquire ownership of the wrapped ocaml object (the sense of "disown"
      * is from ocaml) */
     void __disown() const { 
-	assert(_self); 
 	if (!_disown) { 
 	    _disown=1;
 	    callback(*caml_named_value("caml_obj_disown"),_self);
diff --git a/Lib/python/director.swg b/Lib/python/director.swg
index 7f7f1c5e6..47218cb7b 100644
--- a/Lib/python/director.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/director.swg
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ private:
 
   /* decrement the reference count of the wrapped python object */
   void __decref() const { 
-    assert(_self); 
     if (_disown) {
       Py_DECREF(_self); 
     }
@@ -93,11 +92,6 @@ private:
 #endif
 
 public:
-  /* the default constructor should not be called */
-  __DIRECTOR__() { 
-    assert(0); 
-  }
-  
   /* wrap a python object, optionally taking ownership */
   __DIRECTOR__(PyObject* self, int disown): _self(self), _disown(disown) {
     __incref();
@@ -155,7 +149,6 @@ public:
   /* acquire ownership of the wrapped python object (the sense of "disown"
    * is from python) */
   void __disown() const { 
-    assert(_self); 
     if (!_disown) { 
       _disown=1;
        __incref(); 
@@ -164,7 +157,6 @@ public:
 
   /* increase the reference count of the wrapped python object */
   void __incref() const { 
-    assert(_self); 
     if (_disown) {
       Py_INCREF(_self); 
     }
diff --git a/Lib/python/python.swg b/Lib/python/python.swg
index 7f8a47a6c..dcd9520d4 100644
--- a/Lib/python/python.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/python.swg
@@ -473,7 +473,6 @@
 		} else {
 			$input = proxy->__get_self();
 		}
-		assert($input);
 	}
 }
 %typemap(inv) SWIGTYPE * {
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/director.swg b/Lib/ruby/director.swg
index 9ad1667d0..809abec92 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/director.swg
+++ b/Lib/ruby/director.swg
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 
-#include <assert.h>
 #include <string>
 
 struct swig_body_args
@@ -99,11 +98,6 @@ private:
 #endif
 
 public:
-  /* the default constructor should not be called */
-  __DIRECTOR__() { 
-    assert(false); 
-  }
-  
   /* wrap a Ruby object, optionally taking ownership */
   __DIRECTOR__(VALUE self, bool disown) : _self(self), _disown(disown) {
   }
@@ -159,7 +153,6 @@ public:
   /* acquire ownership of the wrapped Ruby object (the sense of "disown"
    * is from Ruby) */
   void __disown() const { 
-    assert(_self); 
     if (!_disown) { 
       _disown = true;
     } 
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/ruby.swg b/Lib/ruby/ruby.swg
index fe4728523..397c8d7a6 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/ruby.swg
+++ b/Lib/ruby/ruby.swg
@@ -431,7 +431,6 @@
 		} else {
 			$input = proxy->__get_self();
 		}
-		assert($input);
 	}
 }
 %typemap(inv) SWIGTYPE * {