diff --git a/source/common/common/assert.h b/source/common/common/assert.h
index 9d4f4c5275215..3654a160df2ce 100644
--- a/source/common/common/assert.h
+++ b/source/common/common/assert.h
@@ -29,11 +29,19 @@ namespace Envoy {
   } while (false)
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
-#define ASSERT(X) RELEASE_ASSERT(X, "")
+#define _ASSERT_ORIGINAL(X) RELEASE_ASSERT(X, "")
+#define _ASSERT_VERBOSE(X, Y) RELEASE_ASSERT(X, Y)
+#define _ASSERT_SELECTOR(_1, _2, ASSERT_MACRO, ...) ASSERT_MACRO
+
+// If ASSERT is called with one argument, the ASSERT_SELECTOR will return
+// _ASSERT_ORIGINAL and this will call _ASSERT_ORIGINAL(__VA_ARGS__).
+// If ASSERT is called with two arguments, ASSERT_SELECTOR will return
+// _ASSERT_VERBOSE, and this will call _ASSERT_VERBOSE,(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define ASSERT(...) _ASSERT_SELECTOR(__VA_ARGS__, _ASSERT_VERBOSE, _ASSERT_ORIGINAL)(__VA_ARGS__)
 #else
 // This non-implementation ensures that its argument is a valid expression that can be statically
 // casted to a bool, but the expression is never evaluated and will be compiled away.
-#define ASSERT(X)                                                                                  \
+#define ASSERT(X, ...)                                                                             \
   do {                                                                                             \
     constexpr bool __assert_dummy_variable = false && static_cast<bool>(X);                        \
     (void)__assert_dummy_variable;                                                                 \
diff --git a/source/common/network/connection_impl.cc b/source/common/network/connection_impl.cc
index b08c483ca8a7b..935075e1c16ab 100644
--- a/source/common/network/connection_impl.cc
+++ b/source/common/network/connection_impl.cc
@@ -504,7 +504,9 @@ void ConnectionImpl::onWriteReady() {
 }
 
 void ConnectionImpl::setConnectionStats(const ConnectionStats& stats) {
-  ASSERT(!connection_stats_);
+  ASSERT(!connection_stats_,
+         "Two network filters are attempting to set connection stats. This indicates an issue "
+         "with the configured filter chain.");
   connection_stats_.reset(new ConnectionStats(stats));
 }
 
diff --git a/test/common/common/assert_test.cc b/test/common/common/assert_test.cc
index 49f3c8d7d748b..9143b1a6391e7 100644
--- a/test/common/common/assert_test.cc
+++ b/test/common/common/assert_test.cc
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 namespace Envoy {
 
-TEST(Assert, VariousLogs) {
+TEST(ReleaseAssert, VariousLogs) {
   Logger::StderrSinkDelegate stderr_sink(Logger::Registry::getSink()); // For coverage build.
   EXPECT_DEATH({ RELEASE_ASSERT(0, ""); }, ".*assert failure: 0.*");
   EXPECT_DEATH({ RELEASE_ASSERT(0, "With some logs"); },
@@ -13,4 +13,16 @@ TEST(Assert, VariousLogs) {
                ".*assert failure: 0 == EAGAIN. Details: using fmt.*");
 }
 
+TEST(Assert, VariousLogs) {
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+  EXPECT_DEATH({ ASSERT(0); }, ".*assert failure: 0.*");
+  EXPECT_DEATH({ ASSERT(0, ""); }, ".*assert failure: 0.*");
+  EXPECT_DEATH({ ASSERT(0, "With some logs"); }, ".*assert failure: 0. Details: With some logs.*");
+#else
+  ASSERT(0);
+  ASSERT(0, "");
+  ASSERT(0, "With some logs");
+#endif
+}
+
 } // namespace Envoy