diff --git a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/cleaner/FileProtector.java b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/cleaner/FileProtector.java
index 34c1aef..7f35601 100644
--- a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/cleaner/FileProtector.java
+++ b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/cleaner/FileProtector.java
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ public class FileProtector {
 
         final ReservedFileInfo info = new ReservedFileInfo(size, endVLSN);
         final ReservedFileInfo prevInfo = reservedFiles.put(file, info);
-        if (prevInfo != null) throw new AssertionError();
+        assert prevInfo == null;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -486,28 +486,22 @@ public class FileProtector {
             return null;
         }
 
-        boolean keepTrying = false;
-        do {
-            keepTrying = false;
-            try {
-                for (final Map.Entry<Long, ReservedFileInfo> entry :
-                        reservedFiles.tailMap(fromFile).entrySet()) {
+        fileLoop:
+        for (final Map.Entry<Long, ReservedFileInfo> entry :
+                reservedFiles.tailMap(fromFile).entrySet()) {
 
-                    final Long file = entry.getKey();
-                    final ReservedFileInfo info = entry.getValue();
+            final Long file = entry.getKey();
+            final ReservedFileInfo info = entry.getValue();
 
-                    for (final ProtectedFileSet pfs : protectedFileSets.values()) {
-                        if (pfs.isProtected(file, info)) {
-                            keepTrying = true;
-                            throw new Exception();
-                        }
-                    }
-
-                    reservedFiles.remove(file);
-                    return new Pair<>(file, info.size);
+            for (final ProtectedFileSet pfs : protectedFileSets.values()) {
+                if (pfs.isProtected(file, info)) {
+                    continue fileLoop;
                 }
-            } catch (Exception e) { /* FALLTHRU */ }
-        } while (keepTrying);
+            }
+
+            reservedFiles.remove(file);
+            return new Pair<>(file, info.size);
+        }
 
         return null;
     }
@@ -583,21 +577,6 @@ public class FileProtector {
 
                 isProtected = true;
 
-                /*
-                BiFunction<String, Long, Long> fn = new BiFunction<String, Long, Long>() {
-                    @Override
-                    public Long apply(String k, Long v) {
-                        Long r = 0L;
-                        if (v != null) {
-                            r = v + info.size;
-                        } else {
-                            r = info.size;
-                        }
-                        return r;
-                    }
-                };
-                protectedSizeMap.compute(pfs.getName(), fn); // (k, v) -> ((v != null) ? v : 0) + info.size);
-                */
                 protectedSizeMap.compute(
                         pfs.getName(),
                         (k, v) -> ((v != null) ? v : 0) + info.size);
@@ -655,30 +634,25 @@ public class FileProtector {
         long truncateFile = -1;
         long deleteBytes = 0;
 
+        fileLoop:
+        for (final Map.Entry<Long, ReservedFileInfo> entry :
+                reservedFiles.entrySet()) {
 
-        boolean keepTrying = false;
-        do {
-            keepTrying = false;
-            try {
-                for (final Map.Entry<Long, ReservedFileInfo> entry :
-                        reservedFiles.entrySet()) {
+            final Long file = entry.getKey();
+                final ReservedFileInfo info = entry.getValue();
 
-                    final Long file = entry.getKey();
-                    final ReservedFileInfo info = entry.getValue();
+                for (final ProtectedFileSet pfs : protectedFileSets.values()) {
 
-                    for (final ProtectedFileSet pfs : protectedFileSets.values()) {
+                    if (pfs == vlsnIndexRange || !pfs.protectVlsnIndex) {
+                        continue;
+                }
 
-                        if (pfs == vlsnIndexRange || !pfs.protectVlsnIndex) {
-                            continue;
-                        }
+                if (pfs.isProtected(file, info)) {
+                    break fileLoop;
+                }
+            }
 
-                        if (pfs.isProtected(file, info)) {
-                            keepTrying = true;
-                            throw new Exception();
-                        }
-                    }
-
-                    final VLSN lastVlsn = info.endVLSN;
+            final VLSN lastVlsn = info.endVLSN;
 
                     if (!lastVlsn.isNull()) {
                         if (lastVlsn.compareTo(preserveVLSN) > 0) {
@@ -691,11 +665,9 @@ public class FileProtector {
                     deleteBytes += info.size;
 
                     if (deleteBytes >= bytesNeeded) {
-                        break;
-                    }
-                }
-            } catch(Exception e) { /* FALLTHRU */ }
-        } while (keepTrying);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
 
         return truncateVLSN.isNull() ? null :
             new Pair<>(truncateVLSN, truncateFile);
diff --git a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/CronScheduleParser.java b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/CronScheduleParser.java
index b14a24d..8de8312 100644
--- a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/CronScheduleParser.java
+++ b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/CronScheduleParser.java
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ public class CronScheduleParser {
     }
 
     private void assertDelay() {
-        if (delay < 0)
-            throw new AssertionError("Delay is: " + delay + "; interval is: " + interval);
+        assert delay >= 0 :
+            "Delay is: " + delay + "; interval is: " + interval;
     }
 
     private void parser(final String cronSchedule) {
diff --git a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/MapStat.java b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/MapStat.java
index 7e57846..1c49310 100644
--- a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/MapStat.java
+++ b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/MapStat.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public abstract class MapStat<T, C extends MapStatComponent<T, C>>
      * @param key the key
      */
     public synchronized void removeStat(String key) {
-        if (key == null) throw new AssertionError();
+        assert key != null;
         statMap.remove(key);
     }
 
diff --git a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/StatGroup.java b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/StatGroup.java
index db79d3f..b94552d 100644
--- a/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/StatGroup.java
+++ b/stasis-core/src/main/java/com/sleepycat/je/utilint/StatGroup.java
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ public class StatGroup implements Serializable {
      */
     void register(Stat<?> oneStat) {
         Stat<?> prev = stats.put(oneStat.getDefinition(), oneStat);
-        if ((prev != null)) throw new AssertionError("prev = " + prev + " oneStat=" +
-                oneStat.getDefinition());
+        assert (prev == null) : "prev = " + prev + " oneStat=" +
+            oneStat.getDefinition();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -236,8 +236,9 @@ public class StatGroup implements Serializable {
         } else if (s instanceof AtomicIntStat) {
             retval = ((AtomicIntStat) s).get();
         } else {
-            throw new AssertionError("Internal error calling getInt with" +
-                    " unexpected stat type: " + s.getClass().getName());
+            assert false : "Internal error calling getInt with" +
+                " unexpected stat type: " + s.getClass().getName();
+            retval = 0;
         }
         return retval;
     }
@@ -258,7 +259,8 @@ public class StatGroup implements Serializable {
         } else if (s instanceof IntegralLongAvgStat) {
             retval = ((IntegralLongAvgStat)s).get().compute();
         } else {
-            throw new AssertionError("Internal error calling getLong() with " + "unknown stat type.");
+            assert false: "Internal error calling getLong() with "+
+                 "unknown stat type.";
         }
         return retval;
     }