diff --git a/runtime/vm/parser.cc b/runtime/vm/parser.cc
index d837830bcea..23c45fdd92e 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/parser.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/parser.cc
@@ -9091,7 +9091,7 @@ AstNode* Parser::ParseAssertStatement() {
   ConsumeToken();  // Consume assert keyword.
   ExpectToken(Token::kLPAREN);
   const intptr_t condition_pos = TokenPos();
-  if (!I->flags().asserts() && !I->flags().type_checks()) {
+  if (!I->flags().asserts()) {
     SkipExpr();
     ExpectToken(Token::kRPAREN);
     return NULL;
diff --git a/tests/language/assertion_test.dart b/tests/language/assertion_test.dart
index 68bdf04b1b7..2f0a12d4962 100644
--- a/tests/language/assertion_test.dart
+++ b/tests/language/assertion_test.dart
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2011, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
 // for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
 // BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-// VMOptions=--enable_type_checks
+// VMOptions=--enable_asserts
 //
 // Dart test program testing assert statements.
 
diff --git a/tests/standalone/no_assert_test.dart b/tests/standalone/no_assert_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..825578b590d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/standalone/no_assert_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2015, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
+// for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+// BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+// VMOptions=--no-enable_asserts --enable_type_checks
+
+// Ensure that enabling of type checks does not automatically enable asserts.
+
+main() {
+  assert(false);
+  try {
+    int i = "String";
+    throw "FAIL";
+  } on TypeError catch (e) {
+    print("PASS");
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/standalone/standalone.status b/tests/standalone/standalone.status
index 03ca40dcbb4..4f1cd7031d7 100644
--- a/tests/standalone/standalone.status
+++ b/tests/standalone/standalone.status
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ issue14236_test: Pass # Do not remove this line. It serves as a marker for Issue
 
 javascript_compatibility_errors_test/none: Fail, OK  # Not possible to exclude or annotate with '/// none:'
 
+[ $runtime != vm ]
+no_assert_test: Fail, OK # This is testing a vm flag.
+
 [ $runtime == vm ]
 package/package_isolate_test: Fail # Issue 12474
 io/observatory_test: Fail
diff --git a/tools/testing/dart/compiler_configuration.dart b/tools/testing/dart/compiler_configuration.dart
index fc1d536e0e0..9ec90f00271 100644
--- a/tools/testing/dart/compiler_configuration.dart
+++ b/tools/testing/dart/compiler_configuration.dart
@@ -155,7 +155,12 @@ class NoneCompilerConfiguration extends CompilerConfiguration {
       List<String> sharedOptions,
       List<String> originalArguments,
       CommandArtifact artifact) {
-    return <String>[]
+    List<String> args = [];
+    if (isChecked) {
+      args.add('--enable_asserts');
+      args.add('--enable_type_checks');
+    }
+    return args
         ..addAll(vmOptions)
         ..addAll(sharedOptions)
         ..addAll(originalArguments);
@@ -315,6 +320,10 @@ class AnalyzerCompilerConfiguration extends CompilerConfiguration {
       CommandBuilder commandBuilder,
       List arguments,
       Map<String, String> environmentOverrides) {
+    arguments = new List.from(arguments);
+    if (isChecked) {
+      arguments.add('--enable_type_checks');
+    }
     return new CommandArtifact(
         <Command>[
             commandBuilder.getAnalysisCommand(
diff --git a/tools/testing/dart/test_suite.dart b/tools/testing/dart/test_suite.dart
index aef5b3f2a06..b4e7b537396 100644
--- a/tools/testing/dart/test_suite.dart
+++ b/tools/testing/dart/test_suite.dart
@@ -2225,10 +2225,6 @@ class TestUtils {
 
   static List<String> standardOptions(Map configuration) {
     List args = ["--ignore-unrecognized-flags"];
-    if (configuration["checked"]) {
-      args.add('--enable_asserts');
-      args.add("--enable_type_checks");
-    }
     String compiler = configuration["compiler"];
     if (compiler == "dart2js") {
       args = ['--generate-code-with-compile-time-errors', '--test-mode'];