diff --git a/src/honey/sql/helpers.cljc b/src/honey/sql/helpers.cljc
index c06b541..072f4ef 100644
--- a/src/honey/sql/helpers.cljc
+++ b/src/honey/sql/helpers.cljc
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-;; copyright (c) 2020-2024 sean corfield, all rights reserved
+;; copyright (c) 2020-2025 sean corfield, all rights reserved
 
 (ns honey.sql.helpers
   "Helper functions for the built-in clauses in honey.sql.
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
     bulk-collect-info [& args]
 
   (as they are for all helper functions)."
-  (:refer-clojure :exclude [distinct filter for group-by into partition-by set update])
+  (:refer-clojure :exclude [assert distinct filter for group-by into partition-by set update])
   (:require [clojure.core :as c]
             [honey.sql :as h]))
 
@@ -452,6 +452,14 @@
   [& clauses]
   (generic :except-all (cons {} clauses)))
 
+(defn assert
+  "Accepts an expression (predicate).
+
+  Produces: ASSERT expression"
+  {:arglists '([expr])}
+  [& args]
+  (generic-1 :assert args))
+
 (defn select
   "Accepts any number of column names, or column/alias
   pairs, or SQL expressions (optionally aliased):
diff --git a/test/honey/sql/xtdb_test.cljc b/test/honey/sql/xtdb_test.cljc
index fb759db..bb85cf5 100644
--- a/test/honey/sql/xtdb_test.cljc
+++ b/test/honey/sql/xtdb_test.cljc
@@ -131,9 +131,18 @@
          (sql/format '{select (((get-in (. (object {_id 1 b "thing"}) b) c (lift 1) d)))}))))
 
 (deftest assert-statement
-  (is (= ["ASSERT NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE email = 'james @example.com')"]
-         (sql/format '{assert (not-exists {select 1 from users where (= email "james @example.com")})}
-                     :inline true)))
-  (is (= ["ASSERT TRUE"]
-         (sql/format '{assert true}
-                     :inline true))))
+  (testing "quoted sql"
+    (is (= ["ASSERT NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE email = 'james @example.com')"]
+           (sql/format '{assert (not-exists {select 1 from users where (= email "james @example.com")})}
+                       :inline true)))
+    (is (= ["ASSERT TRUE"]
+           (sql/format '{assert true}
+                       :inline true))))
+  (testing "helper"
+    (is (= ["ASSERT NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE email = 'james @example.com')"]
+           (-> (h/assert [:not-exists {:select 1 :from :users :where [:= :email "james @example.com"]}])
+               (sql/format {:inline true}))))
+    (is (= ["ASSERT NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE email = 'james @example.com')"]
+           (-> {}
+               (h/assert [:not-exists {:select 1 :from :users :where [:= :email "james @example.com"]}])
+               (sql/format {:inline true}))))))