diff --git a/Include/node.h b/Include/node.h
index 2b3907409738733..915cd83f968c91d 100644
--- a/Include/node.h
+++ b/Include/node.h
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ PyAPI_FUNC(Py_ssize_t) _PyNode_SizeOf(node *n);
 
 /* Assert that the type of a node is what we expect */
 #define REQ(n, type) assert(TYPE(n) == (type))
+/* Assert that a NAME node contains the expected name */
+#define REQ_NAME(node, name) do { \
+    REQ((node), NAME); \
+    assert(strcmp(STR((node)), (name)) == 0); \
+} while(0)
 
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) PyNode_ListTree(node *);
 void _PyNode_FinalizeEndPos(node *n);  // helper also used in parsetok.c
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2017-10-08-22-21-27.bpo-31698.ekxKQc.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2017-10-08-22-21-27.bpo-31698.ekxKQc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..b9c509b58f85af5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2017-10-08-22-21-27.bpo-31698.ekxKQc.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add a ``REQ_NAME`` macro to `Include/node.h`.
diff --git a/Python/ast.c b/Python/ast.c
index 9c48d71d154fcc4..3f5d852e68f90da 100644
--- a/Python/ast.c
+++ b/Python/ast.c
@@ -2032,7 +2032,7 @@ count_comp_fors(struct compiling *c, const node *n)
     n_fors++;
     REQ(n, comp_for);
     if (NCH(n) == 2) {
-        REQ(CHILD(n, 0), ASYNC);
+        REQ_NAME(CHILD(n, 0), "async");
         n = CHILD(n, 1);
     }
     else if (NCH(n) == 1) {
@@ -2917,7 +2917,7 @@ ast_for_expr(struct compiling *c, const node *n)
                 return BoolOp(And, seq, LINENO(n), n->n_col_offset,
                               n->n_end_lineno, n->n_end_col_offset,
                               c->c_arena);
-            assert(!strcmp(STR(CHILD(n, 1)), "or"));
+            REQ_NAME(CHILD(n, 1), "or");
             return BoolOp(Or, seq, LINENO(n), n->n_col_offset,
                           n->n_end_lineno, n->n_end_col_offset, c->c_arena);
         case not_test: