diff --git a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_common.c b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_common.c
index d06fbd43b..7e7b823cf 100644
--- a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_common.c
+++ b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_common.c
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ acrn_parse_bootargs(char *arg)
 		with_bootargs = 1;
 		printf("SW_LOAD: get bootargs %s\n", bootargs);
 		return 0;
-	} else
-		return -1;
+	}
+	return -1;
 }
 
 char*
@@ -222,8 +222,6 @@ acrn_create_e820_table(struct vmctx *ctx, struct e820_entry *e820)
 	uint32_t removed = 0, k;
 
 	memcpy(e820, e820_default_entries, sizeof(e820_default_entries));
-
-	assert(ctx->lowmem > e820[LOWRAM_E820_ENTRY].baseaddr);
 	e820[LOWRAM_E820_ENTRY].length = ctx->lowmem -
 			e820[LOWRAM_E820_ENTRY].baseaddr;
 
diff --git a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_elf.c b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_elf.c
index a3b8778ad..708fd902f 100644
--- a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_elf.c
+++ b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_elf.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
-#include <assert.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <elf.h>
 
@@ -95,19 +94,19 @@ struct multiboot_info {
 int
 acrn_parse_elf(char *arg)
 {
+	int err = -1;
 	size_t len = strnlen(arg, STR_LEN);
 	size_t elfsz;
 
 	if (len < STR_LEN) {
 		strncpy(elf_path, arg, len + 1);
-		assert(check_image(elf_path, 0, &elfsz) == 0);
-
-		elf_file_name = elf_path;
-
-		printf("SW_LOAD: get elf path %s\n", elf_path);
-		return 0;
-	} else
-		return -1;
+		if (check_image(elf_path, 0, &elfsz) == 0) {
+			elf_file_name = elf_path;
+			printf("SW_LOAD: get elf path %s\n", elf_path);
+			err = 0;
+		}
+	}
+	return err;
 }
 
 static int load_elf32(struct vmctx *ctx, FILE *fp, void *buf)
diff --git a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_ovmf.c b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_ovmf.c
index 6d35f57dc..bd04447ff 100644
--- a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_ovmf.c
+++ b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_ovmf.c
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
-#include <assert.h>
 
 #include "dm.h"
 #include "vmmapi.h"
@@ -72,20 +71,19 @@ ovmf_image_size(void)
 int
 acrn_parse_ovmf(char *arg)
 {
-	int error;
+	int error = -1;
 	size_t len = strnlen(arg, STR_LEN);
 
 	if (len < STR_LEN) {
 		strncpy(ovmf_path, arg, len + 1);
-		error = check_image(ovmf_path, 2 * MB, &ovmf_size);
-		assert(!error);
-
-		ovmf_file_name = ovmf_path;
-		printf("SW_LOAD: get ovmf path %s, size 0x%lx\n",
-		       ovmf_path, ovmf_size);
-		return 0;
-	} else
-		return -1;
+		if (check_image(ovmf_path, 2 * MB, &ovmf_size) == 0) {
+			ovmf_file_name = ovmf_path;
+			printf("SW_LOAD: get ovmf path %s, size 0x%lx\n",
+						ovmf_path, ovmf_size);
+			error = 0;
+		}
+	}
+	return error;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -149,7 +147,8 @@ acrn_sw_load_ovmf(struct vmctx *ctx)
 	e820 = paddr_guest2host(ctx, OVMF_E820_BASE,
 			e820_default_entries[LOWRAM_E820_ENTRY].baseaddr -
 			OVMF_E820_BASE);
-	assert(e820 != NULL);
+	if (e820 == NULL)
+		return -1;
 
 	strncpy(e820->signature, "820", sizeof(e820->signature));
 	e820->nentries = acrn_create_e820_table(ctx, e820->map);
diff --git a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_vsbl.c b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_vsbl.c
index 2cf819857..ba9a44c0b 100644
--- a/devicemodel/core/sw_load_vsbl.c
+++ b/devicemodel/core/sw_load_vsbl.c
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
-#include <assert.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
 #include "dm.h"
@@ -125,21 +124,19 @@ vsbl_set_bdf(int bnum, int snum, int fnum)
 int
 acrn_parse_guest_part_info(char *arg)
 {
-	int error;
+	int error = -1;
 	size_t len = strnlen(arg, STR_LEN);
 
 	if (len < STR_LEN) {
 		strncpy(guest_part_info_path, arg, len + 1);
-		error = check_image(guest_part_info_path, 0, &guest_part_info_size);
-		assert(!error);
-
-		with_guest_part_info = true;
-
-		printf("SW_LOAD: get partition blob path %s\n",
-			guest_part_info_path);
-		return 0;
-	} else
-		return -1;
+		if (check_image(guest_part_info_path, 0, &guest_part_info_size) == 0) {
+			with_guest_part_info = true;
+			printf("SW_LOAD: get partition blob path %s\n",
+						guest_part_info_path);
+			error = 0;
+		}
+	}
+	return error;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -194,21 +191,18 @@ acrn_prepare_guest_part_info(struct vmctx *ctx)
 int
 acrn_parse_vsbl(char *arg)
 {
-	int error;
+	int error = -1;
 	size_t len = strnlen(arg, STR_LEN);
 
 	if (len < STR_LEN) {
 		strncpy(vsbl_path, arg, len + 1);
-		error = check_image(vsbl_path, 8 * MB, &vsbl_size);
-		assert(!error);
-
-		vsbl_file_name = vsbl_path;
-
-		printf("SW_LOAD: get vsbl path %s\n",
-			vsbl_path);
-		return 0;
-	} else
-		return -1;
+		if (check_image(vsbl_path, 8 * MB, &vsbl_size) == 0) {
+			vsbl_file_name = vsbl_path;
+			printf("SW_LOAD: get vsbl path %s\n", vsbl_path);
+			error = 0;
+		}
+	}
+	return error;
 }
 
 static int