diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 4b59af8..943fd6a 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -224,6 +224,22 @@ jobs:
     # report-size will compile littlefs and report the size
     script: [*report-size]
 
+  # test compilation with asserts that return -1
+  - stage: test
+    env:
+      - NAME=littlefs-assert-return
+      - CC="arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc --static -mthumb"
+      - CFLAGS="-Werror -D'LFS_ASSERT(test)=do {if(!(test)) {return -1;}} while(0)'"
+    if: branch !~ -prefix$
+    install:
+      - *install-common
+      - sudo apt-get install
+            gcc-arm-linux-gnueabi
+            libc6-dev-armel-cross
+      - arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc --version
+    # report-size will compile littlefs and report the size
+    script: [*report-size]
+
   # test compilation in thread-safe mode
   - stage: test
     env:
diff --git a/lfs.c b/lfs.c
index 07c5a49..1bb2dec 100644
--- a/lfs.c
+++ b/lfs.c
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ static int lfs_file_rawsync(lfs_t *lfs, lfs_file_t *file);
 static int lfs_file_outline(lfs_t *lfs, lfs_file_t *file);
 static int lfs_file_flush(lfs_t *lfs, lfs_file_t *file);
 
-static void lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs_t *lfs, int8_t orphans);
+static int lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs_t *lfs, int8_t orphans);
 static void lfs_fs_prepmove(lfs_t *lfs,
         uint16_t id, const lfs_block_t pair[2]);
 static int lfs_fs_pred(lfs_t *lfs, const lfs_block_t dir[2],
@@ -2066,7 +2066,10 @@ static int lfs_rawmkdir(lfs_t *lfs, const char *path) {
     // current block end of list?
     if (cwd.m.split) {
         // update tails, this creates a desync
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
 
         // it's possible our predecessor has to be relocated, and if
         // our parent is our predecessor's predecessor, this could have
@@ -2086,7 +2089,10 @@ static int lfs_rawmkdir(lfs_t *lfs, const char *path) {
         }
 
         lfs->mlist = cwd.next;
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
     }
 
     // now insert into our parent block
@@ -3219,7 +3225,10 @@ static int lfs_rawremove(lfs_t *lfs, const char *path) {
         }
 
         // mark fs as orphaned
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
 
         // I know it's crazy but yes, dir can be changed by our parent's
         // commit (if predecessor is child)
@@ -3239,7 +3248,10 @@ static int lfs_rawremove(lfs_t *lfs, const char *path) {
     lfs->mlist = dir.next;
     if (lfs_tag_type3(tag) == LFS_TYPE_DIR) {
         // fix orphan
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
 
         err = lfs_fs_pred(lfs, dir.m.pair, &cwd);
         if (err) {
@@ -3325,7 +3337,10 @@ static int lfs_rawrename(lfs_t *lfs, const char *oldpath, const char *newpath) {
         }
 
         // mark fs as orphaned
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
 
         // I know it's crazy but yes, dir can be changed by our parent's
         // commit (if predecessor is child)
@@ -3368,7 +3383,10 @@ static int lfs_rawrename(lfs_t *lfs, const char *oldpath, const char *newpath) {
     lfs->mlist = prevdir.next;
     if (prevtag != LFS_ERR_NOENT && lfs_tag_type3(prevtag) == LFS_TYPE_DIR) {
         // fix orphan
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
 
         err = lfs_fs_pred(lfs, prevdir.m.pair, &newcwd);
         if (err) {
@@ -4001,7 +4019,10 @@ static int lfs_fs_relocate(lfs_t *lfs,
 
     if (tag != LFS_ERR_NOENT) {
         // update disk, this creates a desync
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        int err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, +1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
 
         // fix pending move in this pair? this looks like an optimization but
         // is in fact _required_ since relocating may outdate the move.
@@ -4018,7 +4039,7 @@ static int lfs_fs_relocate(lfs_t *lfs,
         }
 
         lfs_pair_tole32(newpair);
-        int err = lfs_dir_commit(lfs, &parent, LFS_MKATTRS(
+        err = lfs_dir_commit(lfs, &parent, LFS_MKATTRS(
                 {LFS_MKTAG_IF(moveid != 0x3ff,
                     LFS_TYPE_DELETE, moveid, 0), NULL},
                 {tag, newpair}));
@@ -4028,7 +4049,10 @@ static int lfs_fs_relocate(lfs_t *lfs,
         }
 
         // next step, clean up orphans
-        lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        err = lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -1);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
     }
 
     // find pred
@@ -4067,11 +4091,13 @@ static int lfs_fs_relocate(lfs_t *lfs,
 #endif
 
 #ifndef LFS_READONLY
-static void lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs_t *lfs, int8_t orphans) {
+static int lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs_t *lfs, int8_t orphans) {
     LFS_ASSERT(lfs_tag_size(lfs->gstate.tag) > 0 || orphans >= 0);
     lfs->gstate.tag += orphans;
     lfs->gstate.tag = ((lfs->gstate.tag & ~LFS_MKTAG(0x800, 0, 0)) |
             ((uint32_t)lfs_gstate_hasorphans(&lfs->gstate) << 31));
+
+    return 0;
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -4188,8 +4214,7 @@ static int lfs_fs_deorphan(lfs_t *lfs) {
     }
 
     // mark orphans as fixed
-    lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -lfs_gstate_getorphans(&lfs->gstate));
-    return 0;
+    return lfs_fs_preporphans(lfs, -lfs_gstate_getorphans(&lfs->gstate));
 }
 #endif