diff --git a/contrib/amcheck/verify_heapam.c b/contrib/amcheck/verify_heapam.c
index d33f33f170..83dc728011 100644
--- a/contrib/amcheck/verify_heapam.c
+++ b/contrib/amcheck/verify_heapam.c
@@ -1319,7 +1319,7 @@ check_tuple_attribute(HeapCheckContext *ctx)
 	 */
 
 	/*
-	 * Check that VARTAG_SIZE won't hit a TrapMacro on a corrupt va_tag before
+	 * Check that VARTAG_SIZE won't hit an Assert on a corrupt va_tag before
 	 * risking a call into att_addlength_pointer
 	 */
 	if (VARATT_IS_EXTERNAL(tp + ctx->offset))
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/error/assert.c b/src/backend/utils/error/assert.c
index 2da512a2f1..ac6173e660 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/error/assert.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/error/assert.c
@@ -28,20 +28,17 @@
  */
 void
 ExceptionalCondition(const char *conditionName,
-					 const char *errorType,
 					 const char *fileName,
 					 int lineNumber)
 {
 	/* Report the failure on stderr (or local equivalent) */
 	if (!PointerIsValid(conditionName)
-		|| !PointerIsValid(fileName)
-		|| !PointerIsValid(errorType))
+		|| !PointerIsValid(fileName))
 		write_stderr("TRAP: ExceptionalCondition: bad arguments in PID %d\n",
 					 (int) getpid());
 	else
-		write_stderr("TRAP: %s(\"%s\", File: \"%s\", Line: %d, PID: %d)\n",
-					 errorType, conditionName,
-					 fileName, lineNumber, (int) getpid());
+		write_stderr("TRAP: failed Assert(\"%s\"), File: \"%s\", Line: %d, PID: %d\n",
+					 conditionName, fileName, lineNumber, (int) getpid());
 
 	/* Usually this shouldn't be needed, but make sure the msg went out */
 	fflush(stderr);
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c b/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c
index eb724a9d7f..6e0a66c29e 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c
@@ -1832,8 +1832,7 @@ pg_re_throw(void)
 	}
 
 	/* Doesn't return ... */
-	ExceptionalCondition("pg_re_throw tried to return", "FailedAssertion",
-						 __FILE__, __LINE__);
+	ExceptionalCondition("pg_re_throw tried to return", __FILE__, __LINE__);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/include/c.h b/src/include/c.h
index c8f72e44d8..0ba58f1f1b 100644
--- a/src/include/c.h
+++ b/src/include/c.h
@@ -796,8 +796,6 @@ typedef NameData *Name;
 #define AssertArg(condition)	((void)true)
 #define AssertState(condition)	((void)true)
 #define AssertPointerAlignment(ptr, bndr)	((void)true)
-#define Trap(condition, errorType)	((void)true)
-#define TrapMacro(condition, errorType) (true)
 
 #elif defined(FRONTEND)
 
@@ -811,60 +809,38 @@ typedef NameData *Name;
 #else							/* USE_ASSERT_CHECKING && !FRONTEND */
 
 /*
- * Trap
- *		Generates an exception if the given condition is true.
+ * Assert
+ *		Generates a fatal exception if the given condition is false.
  */
-#define Trap(condition, errorType) \
-	do { \
-		if (condition) \
-			ExceptionalCondition(#condition, (errorType), \
-								 __FILE__, __LINE__); \
-	} while (0)
-
-/*
- *	TrapMacro is the same as Trap but it's intended for use in macros:
- *
- *		#define foo(x) (AssertMacro(x != 0), bar(x))
- *
- *	Isn't CPP fun?
- */
-#define TrapMacro(condition, errorType) \
-	((bool) (! (condition) || \
-			 (ExceptionalCondition(#condition, (errorType), \
-								   __FILE__, __LINE__), 0)))
-
 #define Assert(condition) \
 	do { \
 		if (!(condition)) \
-			ExceptionalCondition(#condition, "FailedAssertion", \
-								 __FILE__, __LINE__); \
+			ExceptionalCondition(#condition, __FILE__, __LINE__); \
 	} while (0)
 
+/*
+ * AssertMacro is the same as Assert but it's suitable for use in
+ * expression-like macros, for example:
+ *
+ *		#define foo(x) (AssertMacro(x != 0), bar(x))
+ */
 #define AssertMacro(condition) \
 	((void) ((condition) || \
-			 (ExceptionalCondition(#condition, "FailedAssertion", \
-								   __FILE__, __LINE__), 0)))
+			 (ExceptionalCondition(#condition, __FILE__, __LINE__), 0)))
 
-#define AssertArg(condition) \
-	do { \
-		if (!(condition)) \
-			ExceptionalCondition(#condition, "BadArgument", \
-								 __FILE__, __LINE__); \
-	} while (0)
-
-#define AssertState(condition) \
-	do { \
-		if (!(condition)) \
-			ExceptionalCondition(#condition, "BadState", \
-								 __FILE__, __LINE__); \
-	} while (0)
+/*
+ * AssertArg and AssertState are identical to Assert.  Some places use them
+ * to indicate that the complaint is specifically about a bad argument or
+ * unexpected state, but this usage is largely obsolescent.
+ */
+#define AssertArg(condition) Assert(condition)
+#define AssertState(condition) Assert(condition)
 
 /*
  * Check that `ptr' is `bndr' aligned.
  */
 #define AssertPointerAlignment(ptr, bndr) \
-	Trap(TYPEALIGN(bndr, (uintptr_t)(ptr)) != (uintptr_t)(ptr), \
-		 "UnalignedPointer")
+	Assert(TYPEALIGN(bndr, (uintptr_t)(ptr)) == (uintptr_t)(ptr))
 
 #endif							/* USE_ASSERT_CHECKING && !FRONTEND */
 
@@ -876,7 +852,6 @@ typedef NameData *Name;
  */
 #ifndef FRONTEND
 extern void ExceptionalCondition(const char *conditionName,
-								 const char *errorType,
 								 const char *fileName, int lineNumber) pg_attribute_noreturn();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/include/postgres.h b/src/include/postgres.h
index 5f6a1e3d5a..54730dfb38 100644
--- a/src/include/postgres.h
+++ b/src/include/postgres.h
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ typedef enum vartag_external
 	((tag) == VARTAG_INDIRECT ? sizeof(varatt_indirect) : \
 	 VARTAG_IS_EXPANDED(tag) ? sizeof(varatt_expanded) : \
 	 (tag) == VARTAG_ONDISK ? sizeof(varatt_external) : \
-	 TrapMacro(true, "unrecognized TOAST vartag"))
+	 (AssertMacro(false), 0))
 
 /*
  * These structs describe the header of a varlena object that may have been