diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 37bb2be302566..16028e87dd56a 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -315,5 +315,6 @@ a license to everyone to use it as detailed in LICENSE.)
 * Jiajie Hu <jiajie.hu@intel.com> (copyright owned by Intel Corporation)
 * Kamil Klimek <naresh@tlen.pl>
 * José Carlos Pujol <josecpujol(at)gmail.com>
+* Dannii Willis <curiousdannii@gmail.com>
 
 
diff --git a/tools/emterpretify.py b/tools/emterpretify.py
index 083b1a1fb822d..e06fad392b54b 100755
--- a/tools/emterpretify.py
+++ b/tools/emterpretify.py
@@ -991,7 +991,9 @@ def post_process_code(code):
 
     js += ['''
   var bytecodeFile = Module['emterpreterFile'];
-  assert(bytecodeFile instanceof ArrayBuffer, 'bad or missing emterpreter file. if you compiled to JS (and not HTML) make sure you set Module["emterpreterFile"]');
+  if (!(bytecodeFile instanceof ArrayBuffer)) {
+    throw "bad or missing emterpreter file. If you compiled to JS (and not HTML) make sure you set Module['emterpreterFile']";
+  }
   var codeSize = %d;
   HEAPU8.set(new Uint8Array(bytecodeFile).subarray(0, codeSize), eb);
   assert(HEAPU8[eb] === %d);