diff --git a/src/components/content/content.ts b/src/components/content/content.ts
index d65cc5176b..6a093bf7cb 100644
--- a/src/components/content/content.ts
+++ b/src/components/content/content.ts
@@ -167,8 +167,7 @@ export class Content extends Ion {
   ) {
     super(config, elementRef, renderer);
 
-    this._mode = config.get('mode');
-    this._setMode('content', this._mode);
+    this._setMode('content', config.get('mode'));
 
     this._sbPadding = config.getBoolean('statusbarPadding', false);
 
@@ -496,7 +495,7 @@ export class Content extends Ion {
 
     let ele: HTMLElement = this._elementRef.nativeElement;
     if (!ele) {
-      assert(true, 'ele should be valid');
+      assert(false, 'ele should be valid');
       return;
     }
 
@@ -551,13 +550,13 @@ export class Content extends Ion {
   writeDimensions() {
     let scrollEle = this._scrollEle as any;
     if (!scrollEle) {
-      assert(true, 'this._scrollEle should be valid');
+      assert(false, 'this._scrollEle should be valid');
       return;
     }
 
     let fixedEle = this._fixedEle;
     if (!fixedEle) {
-      assert(true, 'this._fixedEle should be valid');
+      assert(false, 'this._fixedEle should be valid');
       return;
     }
 
@@ -608,13 +607,13 @@ export class Content extends Ion {
       this.contentBottom = contentBottom;
     }
 
-
     if (this._tabsPlacement !== null && this._tabs) {
       // set the position of the tabbar
       if (this._tabsPlacement === 'top') {
         this._tabs.setTabbarPosition(this._headerHeight, -1);
 
       } else {
+        assert(this._tabsPlacement === 'bottom', 'tabsPlacement should be bottom');
         this._tabs.setTabbarPosition(-1, 0);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/components/item/item-sliding.ts b/src/components/item/item-sliding.ts
index 750185dfc1..e6495dd27a 100644
--- a/src/components/item/item-sliding.ts
+++ b/src/components/item/item-sliding.ts
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ export class ItemSliding {
       case ItemSideFlags.Right: openAmount = Math.max(0, openAmount); break;
       case ItemSideFlags.Left: openAmount = Math.min(0, openAmount); break;
       case ItemSideFlags.Both: break;
-      default: assert(true, 'invalid ItemSideFlags value'); break;
+      default: assert(false, 'invalid ItemSideFlags value'); break;
     }
 
     if (openAmount > this._optsWidthRightSide) {
diff --git a/src/util/util.ts b/src/util/util.ts
index 433c8bf730..2eda92d876 100644
--- a/src/util/util.ts
+++ b/src/util/util.ts
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ function _assert(actual: any, reason?: string) {
   if (!actual && ASSERT_ENABLED === true) {
     let message = 'IONIC ASSERT: ' + reason;
     console.error(message);
+    debugger; // tslint:disable-line
     throw new Error(message);
   }
 }