diff --git a/Modules/pcremodule.c b/Modules/pcremodule.c
index af5b25456449..a7581c6858e3 100644
--- a/Modules/pcremodule.c
+++ b/Modules/pcremodule.c
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 #include "Python.h"
 
-#include <assert.h>
 #ifndef Py_eval_input
 /* For Python 1.4, graminit.h has to be explicitly included */
 #include "graminit.h"