diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index bebfb3f8..0aa4b9fc 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 - We implement resilient parser, provides user-friendly error messages.
 - We call error messages "diagnostics" to avoid confusion with other errors (see `diagnostics/` folder).
 - We strive to achieve excellent stability by enforcing invariants in the code:
-  - `assert!` and `.expect()` for simple cases
+  - `panic!`, `assert!` or `.expect()` for simple cases
   - `invariants.rs` otherwise, to skip the coverage of unreachable code
 - We maintain the architecture decision records (ADRs)
   - AI agent is responsible for creating new ADR when such decision was made during agentic coding session
diff --git a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/grammar.rs b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/grammar.rs
index 5513b4b9..b2a0085e 100644
--- a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/grammar.rs
+++ b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/grammar.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 use rowan::{Checkpoint, TextRange};
 
 use super::core::Parser;
-use super::invariants::assert_nonempty;
 
 use super::cst::token_sets::{
     ALT_RECOVERY, EXPR_FIRST, QUANTIFIERS, SEPARATORS, SEQ_RECOVERY, TREE_RECOVERY,
@@ -65,7 +64,11 @@ impl Parser<'_> {
 
         self.peek();
         let ate_equals = self.eat(SyntaxKind::Equals);
-        self.assert_equals_eaten(ate_equals);
+        assert!(
+            ate_equals,
+            "parse_def: expected '=' but found {:?} (caller should verify Equals is present)",
+            self.current()
+        );
 
         if EXPR_FIRST.contains(self.peek()) {
             self.parse_expr();
@@ -491,7 +494,12 @@ impl Parser<'_> {
         }
 
         let closing = self.peek();
-        self.assert_string_quote_match(closing, open_quote);
+        assert_eq!(
+            closing, open_quote,
+            "bump_string_tokens: expected closing {:?} but found {:?} \
+             (lexer should only produce quote tokens from complete strings)",
+            open_quote, closing
+        );
         self.bump();
     }
 
@@ -612,7 +620,12 @@ impl Parser<'_> {
         self.start_node(SyntaxKind::Field);
 
         let kind = self.peek();
-        self.assert_id_token(kind);
+        assert_eq!(
+            kind,
+            SyntaxKind::Id,
+            "parse_field: expected Id but found {:?} (caller should verify Id is present)",
+            kind
+        );
         let span = self.current_span();
         let text = token_text(self.source, &self.tokens[self.pos]);
         self.bump();
@@ -865,7 +878,7 @@ fn to_pascal_case(s: &str) -> String {
 }
 
 fn capitalize_first(s: &str) -> String {
-    assert_nonempty(s);
+    assert!(!s.is_empty(), "capitalize_first: called with empty string");
     let mut chars = s.chars();
     let c = chars.next().unwrap();
     c.to_uppercase().chain(chars).collect()
diff --git a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/invariants.rs b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/invariants.rs
index ff2be6ff..9677f10f 100644
--- a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/invariants.rs
+++ b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/parser/invariants.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #![cfg_attr(coverage_nightly, coverage(off))]
 
 use super::core::Parser;
-use super::cst::SyntaxKind;
 
 impl Parser<'_> {
     #[inline]
@@ -14,38 +13,4 @@ impl Parser<'_> {
         );
         self.debug_fuel.set(self.debug_fuel.get() - 1);
     }
-
-    #[inline]
-    pub(super) fn assert_equals_eaten(&self, ate_equals: bool) {
-        assert!(
-            ate_equals,
-            "parse_def: expected '=' but found {:?} (caller should verify Equals is present)",
-            self.current()
-        );
-    }
-
-    #[inline]
-    pub(super) fn assert_string_quote_match(&self, actual: SyntaxKind, expected: SyntaxKind) {
-        assert_eq!(
-            actual, expected,
-            "bump_string_tokens: expected closing {:?} but found {:?} \
-             (lexer should only produce quote tokens from complete strings)",
-            expected, actual
-        );
-    }
-
-    #[inline]
-    pub(super) fn assert_id_token(&self, kind: SyntaxKind) {
-        assert_eq!(
-            kind,
-            SyntaxKind::Id,
-            "parse_field: expected Id but found {:?} (caller should verify Id is present)",
-            kind
-        );
-    }
-}
-
-#[inline]
-pub(super) fn assert_nonempty(s: &str) {
-    assert!(!s.is_empty(), "capitalize_first: called with empty string");
 }
diff --git a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/alt_kinds.rs b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/alt_kinds.rs
index e7f0067a..d305954e 100644
--- a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/alt_kinds.rs
+++ b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/alt_kinds.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@
 use rowan::TextRange;
 
 use super::Query;
-use super::invariants::{
-    assert_alt_no_bare_exprs, assert_root_no_bare_exprs, ensure_both_branch_kinds,
-};
+use super::invariants::ensure_both_branch_kinds;
 use crate::diagnostics::DiagnosticKind;
 use crate::parser::{AltExpr, AltKind, Branch, Expr};
 
@@ -20,13 +18,19 @@ impl Query<'_> {
             self.validate_alt_expr(&body);
         }
 
-        assert_root_no_bare_exprs(&self.ast);
+        assert!(
+            self.ast.exprs().next().is_none(),
+            "alt_kind: unexpected bare Expr in Root (parser should wrap in Def)"
+        );
     }
 
     fn validate_alt_expr(&mut self, expr: &Expr) {
         if let Expr::AltExpr(alt) = expr {
             self.check_mixed_alternation(alt);
-            assert_alt_no_bare_exprs(alt);
+            assert!(
+                alt.exprs().next().is_none(),
+                "alt_kind: unexpected bare Expr in Alt (parser should wrap in Branch)"
+            );
         }
 
         for child in expr.children() {
diff --git a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/invariants.rs b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/invariants.rs
index 5f6ce71f..5298b71c 100644
--- a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/invariants.rs
+++ b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/invariants.rs
@@ -2,23 +2,7 @@
 
 #![cfg_attr(coverage_nightly, coverage(off))]
 
-use crate::parser::{AltExpr, Branch, Root};
-
-#[inline]
-pub fn assert_root_no_bare_exprs(root: &Root) {
-    assert!(
-        root.exprs().next().is_none(),
-        "alt_kind: unexpected bare Expr in Root (parser should wrap in Def)"
-    );
-}
-
-#[inline]
-pub fn assert_alt_no_bare_exprs(alt: &AltExpr) {
-    assert!(
-        alt.exprs().next().is_none(),
-        "alt_kind: unexpected bare Expr in Alt (parser should wrap in Branch)"
-    );
-}
+use crate::parser::Branch;
 
 #[inline]
 pub fn ensure_both_branch_kinds<'a>(
@@ -33,11 +17,3 @@ pub fn ensure_both_branch_kinds<'a>(
         ),
     }
 }
-
-#[inline]
-pub fn ensure_ref_has_name<T>(name: Option<T>) -> T {
-    name.expect(
-        "shape_cardinalities: Ref without name token \
-         (parser only creates Ref for PascalCase Id)",
-    )
-}
diff --git a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/shapes.rs b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/shapes.rs
index ee4a1501..31ec8c28 100644
--- a/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/shapes.rs
+++ b/crates/plotnik-lib/src/query/shapes.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 //! undefined refs, etc.).
 
 use super::Query;
-use super::invariants::ensure_ref_has_name;
 use crate::diagnostics::DiagnosticKind;
 use crate::parser::{Expr, Ref, SeqExpr};
 
@@ -89,7 +88,10 @@ impl Query<'_> {
     }
 
     fn ref_cardinality(&mut self, r: &Ref) -> ShapeCardinality {
-        let name_tok = ensure_ref_has_name(r.name());
+        let name_tok = r.name().expect(
+            "shape_cardinalities: Ref without name token \
+             (parser only creates Ref for PascalCase Id)",
+        );
         let name = name_tok.text();
 
         let Some(body) = self.symbol_table.get(name).cloned() else {