diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs
index 73f0811a5042999e7ba7e7c4e76ac543613cee29..6a7e349819afdc5fbf57512e2151fcb446141079 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/sty.rs
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ impl<'tcx, T> Binder<'tcx, T>
     /// binder. This is commonly used to 'inject' a value T into a
     /// different binding level.
     pub fn dummy(value: T) -> Binder<'tcx, T> {
-        debug_assert!(!value.has_escaping_bound_vars());
+        assert!(!value.has_escaping_bound_vars());
         Binder(value, ty::List::empty())
     }