diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/bbapi/bbapi_srs.cpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/bbapi/bbapi_srs.cpp
index 365eee1bb3ae..1225e844bd4e 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/bbapi/bbapi_srs.cpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/bbapi/bbapi_srs.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@ SrsInitSrs::Response SrsInitSrs::execute(BB_UNUSED BBApiRequest& request) &&
 
 SrsInitGrumpkinSrs::Response SrsInitGrumpkinSrs::execute(BB_UNUSED BBApiRequest& request) &&
 {
+    // Validate buffer size before accessing raw pointer
+    const size_t required_size = static_cast<size_t>(num_points) * sizeof(curve::Grumpkin::AffineElement);
+    if (points_buf.size() < required_size) {
+        throw_or_abort("SrsInitGrumpkinSrs: points_buf too small (" + std::to_string(points_buf.size()) +
+                       " bytes) for num_points=" + std::to_string(num_points) + " (need " +
+                       std::to_string(required_size) + ")");
+    }
+
     // Parse Grumpkin affine elements from buffer
     std::vector<curve::Grumpkin::AffineElement> points(num_points);
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < num_points; ++i) {
diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/chonk_recursion_constraints.test.cpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/chonk_recursion_constraints.test.cpp
index 47af5a7c1aa4..113811ac5e1a 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/chonk_recursion_constraints.test.cpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/chonk_recursion_constraints.test.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ TEST_F(ChonkRecursionConstraintTest, GenerateRecursiveChonkVerifierVKFromConstra
     using VerificationKey = ChonkRecursionConstraintTest::VerificationKey;
     using ChonkData = ChonkRecursionConstraintTest::ChonkData;
 
+    BB_DISABLE_ASSERTS();
     ChonkData chonk_data = ChonkRecursionConstraintTest::get_chonk_data();
 
     std::shared_ptr<VerificationKey> vk_from_valid_witness;
diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/ecc/curves/bn254/pairing_impl.hpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/ecc/curves/bn254/pairing_impl.hpp
index 98b04e9b998e..b0f96b0982db 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/ecc/curves/bn254/pairing_impl.hpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/ecc/curves/bn254/pairing_impl.hpp
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ fq12 reduced_ate_pairing_batch_precomputed(const g1::affine_element* P_affines,
 {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < num_points; ++i) {
         if (!P_affines[i].on_curve()) {
-            throw_or_abort("reduced_ate_pairing_batch_precomputed: one of the points is not on the curve.");
+            bb::assert_failure("reduced_ate_pairing_batch_precomputed: one of the points is not on the curve.");
         }
     }
 
@@ -307,10 +307,10 @@ fq12 reduced_ate_pairing_batch(const g1::affine_element* P_affines,
     bool has_infinity_pair = false;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < num_points; ++i) {
         if (!P_affines[i].on_curve()) {
-            throw_or_abort("reduced_ate_pairing_batch: one of the P points is not on the curve.");
+            bb::assert_failure("reduced_ate_pairing_batch: one of the P points is not on the curve.");
         }
         if (!Q_affines[i].on_curve()) {
-            throw_or_abort("reduced_ate_pairing_batch: one of the Q points is not on the curve.");
+            bb::assert_failure("reduced_ate_pairing_batch: one of the Q points is not on the curve.");
         }
 
         // If either P_i or Q_i is the point at infinity, then e(P_i, Q_i) = 1, so we can skip the calculation of