diff --git a/aom_dsp/bitreader_buffer.c b/aom_dsp/bitreader_buffer.c
index 68fc381..0f5c598 100644
--- a/aom_dsp/bitreader_buffer.c
+++ b/aom_dsp/bitreader_buffer.c
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
  * Media Patent License 1.0 was not distributed with this source code in the
  * PATENTS file, you can obtain it at www.aomedia.org/license/patent.
  */
+
+#include <assert.h>
+
 #include "config/aom_config.h"
 
 #include "aom_dsp/bitreader_buffer.h"
@@ -31,6 +34,7 @@
 }
 
 int aom_rb_read_literal(struct aom_read_bit_buffer *rb, int bits) {
+  assert(bits <= 31);
   int value = 0, bit;
   for (bit = bits - 1; bit >= 0; bit--) value |= aom_rb_read_bit(rb) << bit;
   return value;
@@ -38,6 +42,7 @@
 
 uint32_t aom_rb_read_unsigned_literal(struct aom_read_bit_buffer *rb,
                                       int bits) {
+  assert(bits <= 32);
   uint32_t value = 0;
   int bit;
   for (bit = bits - 1; bit >= 0; bit--)