diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index b21a7fc7af35..6e7975039a55 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ trigger:
       - master
       - maintenance/*
 jobs:
-- job: Linux_Python_36_32bit_full
+- job: Linux_Python_36_32bit_full_with_asserts
   pool:
     vmIMage: 'ubuntu-16.04'
   steps:
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ jobs:
            cp ./usr/local/include/* /usr/include && \
            cd ../numpy && \
            NUMPY_EXPERIMENTAL_ARRAY_FUNCTION=1 \
-           F77=gfortran-5 F90=gfortran-5 python3 runtests.py --mode=full -- -rsx --junitxml=junit/test-results.xml"
+           F77=gfortran-5 F90=gfortran-5 \
+           CFLAGS=-UNDEBUG python3 runtests.py --mode=full -- -rsx --junitxml=junit/test-results.xml"
     displayName: 'Run 32-bit Ubuntu Docker Build / Tests'
   - task: PublishTestResults@2
     inputs:
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.c b/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.c
index ac3fdbef772f..02a423e3a76b 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.c
@@ -125,9 +125,13 @@ raw_array_is_aligned(int ndim, npy_intp *shape,
 
         return npy_is_aligned((void *)align_check, alignment);
     }
-    else {
+    else if (alignment == 1) {
         return 1;
     }
+    else {
+        /* always return false for alignment == 0, which means cannot-be-aligned */
+        return 0;
+    }
 }
 
 NPY_NO_EXPORT int
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.h b/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.h
index 07438c5e8dba..69ef56bb4a8c 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.h
+++ b/numpy/core/src/common/array_assign.h
@@ -87,8 +87,10 @@ broadcast_strides(int ndim, npy_intp *shape,
 
 /*
  * Checks whether a data pointer + set of strides refers to a raw
- * array whose elements are all aligned to a given alignment.
- * alignment should be a power of two.
+ * array whose elements are all aligned to a given alignment. Returns
+ * 1 if data is aligned to alignment or 0 if not.
+ * alignment should be a power of two, or may be the sentinel value 0 to mean
+ * cannot-be-aligned, in which case 0 (false) is always returned.
  */
 NPY_NO_EXPORT int
 raw_array_is_aligned(int ndim, npy_intp *shape,