--- a/Python/compile.c
+++ b/Python/compile.c
@@ -3219,21 +3219,32 @@ compiler_assert(struct compiler *c, stmt_ty s)
         if (assertion_error == NULL)
             return 0;
     }
+    /* Hai Shi: Why don't we move those code to the top of this function?
+     * If we move those code to the top, looks we could get little improvement
+     * due to not calling PyUnicode_InternFromString.
+     */
     if (s->v.Assert.test->kind == Tuple_kind &&
         asdl_seq_LEN(s->v.Assert.test->v.Tuple.elts) > 0)
     {
         if (!compiler_warn(c, "assertion is always true, "
                               "perhaps remove parentheses?"))
         {
+            Py_DECREF(assertion_error);
             return 0;
         }
     }
     end = compiler_new_block(c);
     if (end == NULL)
+    {
+        Py_DECREF(assertion_error);
         return 0;
+    }
     if (!compiler_jump_if(c, s->v.Assert.test, end, 1))
+    {
+        Py_DECREF(assertion_error);
         return 0;
-    ADDOP_O(c, LOAD_GLOBAL, assertion_error, names);
+    }
+    ADDOP_N(c, LOAD_GLOBAL, assertion_error, names);
     if (s->v.Assert.msg) {
         VISIT(c, expr, s->v.Assert.msg);
         ADDOP_I(c, CALL_FUNCTION, 1);