Index: /trunk/qgis/src/core/qgscoordinatereferencesystem.cpp
===================================================================
--- qgis-1.4.0/src/core/qgscoordinatereferencesystem.cpp (revision 13307)
+++ /trunk/qgis/src/core/qgscoordinatereferencesystem.cpp (revision 13508)
@@ -32,5 +32,4 @@
 #include "qgis.h" //const vals declared here
 
-#include <cassert>
 #include <sqlite3.h>
 
@@ -1146,5 +1145,5 @@
   sqlite3_close( db );
 
-  //assert(myProjString.length() > 0);
+  //Q_ASSERT(myProjString.length() > 0);
   return myProjString;
 }
@@ -1260,10 +1259,8 @@
   if ( myResult != SQLITE_OK )
   {
-    QgsDebugMsg( QString( "Can't open database: %1 \n please notify  QGIS developers of this error \n %2 (file name) " )
-                 .arg( sqlite3_errmsg( myDatabase ) )
-                 .arg( QgsApplication::qgisUserDbFilePath() ) );
-    // XXX This will likely never happen since on open, sqlite creates the
-    //     database if it does not exist.
-    assert( myResult == SQLITE_OK );
+    QgsDebugMsg( QString( "Can't open or create database %1: %2" )
+                 .arg( QgsApplication::qgisUserDbFilePath() )
+                 .arg( sqlite3_errmsg( myDatabase ) ) );
+    return false;
   }
   QgsDebugMsg( QString( "Update or insert sql \n%1" ).arg( mySql ) );
@@ -1286,7 +1283,5 @@
   {
     QgsDebugMsg( QString( "Can't open database: %1" ).arg( sqlite3_errmsg( myDatabase ) ) );
-    // XXX This will likely never happen since on open, sqlite creates the
-    //     database if it does not exist.
-    assert( myResult == SQLITE_OK );
+    return 0;
   }
   // Set up the query to retrieve the projection information needed to populate the ELLIPSOID list