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--)
diff --git a/aom_dsp/bitwriter_buffer.c b/aom_dsp/bitwriter_buffer.c
index 21314eb..a563bf6 100644
--- a/aom_dsp/bitwriter_buffer.c
+++ b/aom_dsp/bitwriter_buffer.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  * PATENTS file, you can obtain it at www.aomedia.org/license/patent.
  */
 
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
@@ -49,12 +50,14 @@
 }
 
 void aom_wb_write_literal(struct aom_write_bit_buffer *wb, int data, int bits) {
+  assert(bits <= 31);
   int bit;
   for (bit = bits - 1; bit >= 0; bit--) aom_wb_write_bit(wb, (data >> bit) & 1);
 }
 
 void aom_wb_write_unsigned_literal(struct aom_write_bit_buffer *wb,
                                    uint32_t data, int bits) {
+  assert(bits <= 32);
   int bit;
   for (bit = bits - 1; bit >= 0; bit--) aom_wb_write_bit(wb, (data >> bit) & 1);
 }