diff --git a/bench2.cpp b/bench2.cpp
index 01c45b36..c0db1f00 100644
--- a/bench2.cpp
+++ b/bench2.cpp
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 // bench2.cpp - written and placed in the public domain by Wei Dai
 
 #include "cryptlib.h"
+#include "bench.h"
+#include "validate.h"
+
 #include "pubkey.h"
 #include "gfpcrypt.h"
 #include "eccrypto.h"
-#include "bench.h"
-#include "validate.h"
 
 #include "files.h"
 #include "filters.h"
@@ -15,7 +16,6 @@
 #include "dsa.h"
 #include "luc.h"
 #include "rw.h"
-#include "eccrypto.h"
 #include "ecp.h"
 #include "ec2n.h"
 #include "asn.h"
diff --git a/eccrypto.cpp b/eccrypto.cpp
index c1a9c7e0..133194ea 100644
--- a/eccrypto.cpp
+++ b/eccrypto.cpp
@@ -586,17 +586,23 @@ template <class EC>
 bool DL_GroupParameters_EC<EC>::ValidateGroup(RandomNumberGenerator &rng, unsigned int level) const
 {
 	bool pass = GetCurve().ValidateParameters(rng, level);
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 
 	Integer q = GetCurve().FieldSize();
 	pass = pass && m_n!=q;
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 
 	if (level >= 2)
 	{
 		Integer qSqrt = q.SquareRoot();
 		pass = pass && m_n>4*qSqrt;
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 		pass = pass && VerifyPrime(rng, m_n, level-2);
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 		pass = pass && (m_k.IsZero() || m_k == (q+2*qSqrt+1)/m_n);
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 		pass = pass && CheckMOVCondition(q, m_n);
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 	}
 
 	return pass;
@@ -605,17 +611,25 @@ bool DL_GroupParameters_EC<EC>::ValidateGroup(RandomNumberGenerator &rng, unsign
 template <class EC>
 bool DL_GroupParameters_EC<EC>::ValidateElement(unsigned int level, const Element &g, const DL_FixedBasePrecomputation<Element> *gpc) const
 {
-	bool pass = !IsIdentity(g) && GetCurve().VerifyPoint(g);
+	bool pass = !IsIdentity(g);
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+	pass = pass && GetCurve().VerifyPoint(g);
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+
 	if (level >= 1)
 	{
 		if (gpc)
+		{
 			pass = pass && gpc->Exponentiate(this->GetGroupPrecomputation(), Integer::One()) == g;
+			CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+		}
 	}
 	if (level >= 2 && pass)
 	{
 		const Integer &q = GetSubgroupOrder();
 		Element gq = gpc ? gpc->Exponentiate(this->GetGroupPrecomputation(), q) : this->ExponentiateElement(g, q);
 		pass = pass && IsIdentity(gq);
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 	}
 	return pass;
 }
diff --git a/eccrypto.h b/eccrypto.h
index 0f106228..1c178384 100644
--- a/eccrypto.h
+++ b/eccrypto.h
@@ -428,7 +428,11 @@ public:
 	//! \param x the private exponent
 	//! \details This Initialize() function overload initializes a private key from existing parameters.
 	void Initialize(const DL_GroupParameters_EC<EC> &params, const Integer &x)
-		{this->AccessGroupParameters() = params; this->SetPrivateExponent(x);}
+	{
+		this->AccessGroupParameters() = params;
+		this->SetPrivateExponent(x);
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(x>=1 && x<=params.GetSubgroupOrder()-1);
+	}
 
 	//! \brief Initialize an EC Private Key using {EC,G,n,x}
 	//! \param ec the elliptic curve
@@ -437,7 +441,13 @@ public:
 	//! \param x the private exponent
 	//! \details This Initialize() function overload initializes a private key from existing parameters.
 	void Initialize(const EC &ec, const Element &G, const Integer &n, const Integer &x)
-		{this->AccessGroupParameters().Initialize(ec, G, n); this->SetPrivateExponent(x);}
+	{
+		this->AccessGroupParameters().Initialize(ec, G, n);
+		this->SetPrivateExponent(x);
+
+		DL_GroupParameters_EC<EC> &params = this->AccessGroupParameters();
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(x>=1 && x<=params.GetSubgroupOrder()-1);
+	}
 
 	//! \brief Create an EC private key
 	//! \param rng a RandomNumberGenerator derived class
@@ -463,8 +473,9 @@ public:
 	{
 		const DL_GroupParameters<Element>& params = this->GetAbstractGroupParameters();
 		pub.AccessAbstractGroupParameters().AssignFrom(params);
-		const Integer &xInv = this->GetPrivateExponent().InverseMod(params.GetGroupOrder());
+		const Integer &xInv = this->GetPrivateExponent().InverseMod(params.GetSubgroupOrder());
 		pub.SetPublicElement(params.ExponentiateBase(xInv));
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(xInv.NotZero());
 	}
 
 	virtual bool GetVoidValue(const char *name, const std::type_info &valueType, void *pValue) const
diff --git a/gfpcrypt.cpp b/gfpcrypt.cpp
index 3d2b9251..3badb261 100644
--- a/gfpcrypt.cpp
+++ b/gfpcrypt.cpp
@@ -70,8 +70,12 @@ void DL_GroupParameters_DSA::GenerateRandom(RandomNumberGenerator &rng, const Na
 bool DL_GroupParameters_DSA::ValidateGroup(RandomNumberGenerator &rng, unsigned int level) const
 {
 	bool pass = DL_GroupParameters_GFP::ValidateGroup(rng, level);
-	int pSize = GetModulus().BitCount(), qSize = GetSubgroupOrder().BitCount();
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+
+	const int pSize = GetModulus().BitCount(), qSize = GetSubgroupOrder().BitCount();
 	pass = pass && ((pSize==1024 && qSize==160) || (pSize==2048 && qSize==224) || (pSize==2048 && qSize==256) || (pSize==3072 && qSize==256));
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+
 	return pass;
 }
 
@@ -132,12 +136,20 @@ bool DL_GroupParameters_IntegerBased::ValidateGroup(RandomNumberGenerator &rng,
 
 	bool pass = true;
 	pass = pass && p > Integer::One() && p.IsOdd();
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 	pass = pass && q > Integer::One() && q.IsOdd();
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 
 	if (level >= 1)
+	{
 		pass = pass && GetCofactor() > Integer::One() && GetGroupOrder() % q == Integer::Zero();
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+	}
 	if (level >= 2)
+	{
 		pass = pass && VerifyPrime(rng, q, level-2) && VerifyPrime(rng, p, level-2);
+		CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+	}
 
 	return pass;
 }
@@ -148,17 +160,26 @@ bool DL_GroupParameters_IntegerBased::ValidateElement(unsigned int level, const
 
 	bool pass = true;
 	pass = pass && GetFieldType() == 1 ? g.IsPositive() : g.NotNegative();
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+
 	pass = pass && g < p && !IsIdentity(g);
+	CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 
 	if (level >= 1)
 	{
 		if (gpc)
+		{
 			pass = pass && gpc->Exponentiate(GetGroupPrecomputation(), Integer::One()) == g;
+			CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+		}
 	}
 	if (level >= 2)
 	{
 		if (GetFieldType() == 2)
+		{
 			pass = pass && Jacobi(g*g-4, p)==-1;
+			CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+		}
 
 		// verifying that Lucas((p+1)/2, w, p)==2 is omitted because it's too costly
 		// and at most 1 bit is leaked if it's false
@@ -168,9 +189,13 @@ bool DL_GroupParameters_IntegerBased::ValidateElement(unsigned int level, const
 		{
 			Integer gp = gpc ? gpc->Exponentiate(GetGroupPrecomputation(), q) : ExponentiateElement(g, q);
 			pass = pass && IsIdentity(gp);
+			CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
 		}
 		else if (GetFieldType() == 1)
+		{
 			pass = pass && Jacobi(g, p) == 1;
+			CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pass);
+		}
 	}
 
 	return pass;