diff --git a/sys/userlib/src/kipc.rs b/sys/userlib/src/kipc.rs
index aefea7c46..bc9f3c0c6 100644
--- a/sys/userlib/src/kipc.rs
+++ b/sys/userlib/src/kipc.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,16 @@
 // file, You can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 //! Operations implemented by IPC with the kernel task.
+//!
+//! # On checking return values
+//!
+//! All the functions in this module send IPCs to the kernel directly. It's not
+//! generally useful for us to check the return codes, except in cases where the
+//! IPC is defined as able to fail. We have no choice but to trust the kernel,
+//! since it controls everything.
+//!
+//! As a result, asserting on return codes and lengths when they can only be zero just
+//! wastes flash space in the supervisor.
 
 use core::num::NonZeroUsize;
 
@@ -15,14 +25,13 @@ pub fn read_task_status(task: usize) -> abi::TaskState {
     // Coerce `task` to a known size (Rust doesn't assume that usize == u32)
     let task = task as u32;
     let mut response = [0; core::mem::size_of::<abi::TaskState>()];
-    let (rc, len) = sys_send(
+    let (_rc, len) = sys_send(
         TaskId::KERNEL,
         Kipcnum::ReadTaskStatus as u16,
         task.as_bytes(),
         &mut response,
         &[],
     );
-    assert_eq!(rc, 0);
     ssmarshal::deserialize(&response[..len]).unwrap_lite().0
 }
 
@@ -62,14 +71,13 @@ pub fn get_task_dump_region(
     ssmarshal::serialize(&mut buf, &msg).unwrap_lite();
 
     let mut response = [0; core::mem::size_of::<Option<abi::TaskDumpRegion>>()];
-    let (rc, len) = sys_send(
+    let (_rc, len) = sys_send(
         TaskId::KERNEL,
         Kipcnum::GetTaskDumpRegion as u16,
         &buf,
         &mut response,
         &[],
     );
-    assert_eq!(rc, 0);
     ssmarshal::deserialize(&response[..len]).unwrap_lite().0
 }
 
@@ -82,14 +90,13 @@ pub fn read_task_dump_region(
     let mut buf = [0; core::mem::size_of::<(u32, abi::TaskDumpRegion)>()];
     ssmarshal::serialize(&mut buf, &msg).unwrap_lite();
 
-    let (rc, len) = sys_send(
+    let (_rc, len) = sys_send(
         TaskId::KERNEL,
         Kipcnum::ReadTaskDumpRegion as u16,
         &buf,
         response,
         &[],
     );
-    assert_eq!(rc, 0);
     len
 }
 
@@ -98,45 +105,45 @@ pub fn restart_task(task: usize, start: bool) {
     let msg = (task as u32, start);
     let mut buf = [0; core::mem::size_of::<(u32, bool)>()];
     ssmarshal::serialize(&mut buf, &msg).unwrap_lite();
-    let (rc, _len) = sys_send(
+    let (_rc, _len) = sys_send(
         TaskId::KERNEL,
         Kipcnum::RestartTask as u16,
         &buf,
         &mut [],
         &[],
     );
-    assert_eq!(rc, 0);
 }
 
 pub fn fault_task(task: usize) {
     // Coerce `task` to a known size (Rust doesn't assume that usize == u32)
     let task = task as u32;
-    let (rc, _len) = sys_send(
+    let (_rc, _len) = sys_send(
         TaskId::KERNEL,
         Kipcnum::FaultTask as u16,
         task.as_bytes(),
         &mut [],
         &[],
     );
-    assert_eq!(rc, 0);
 }
 
 pub fn system_restart() -> ! {
     let _ = sys_send(TaskId::KERNEL, Kipcnum::Reset as u16, &[], &mut [], &[]);
-    panic!();
+    loop {
+        core::sync::atomic::compiler_fence(
+            core::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst,
+        );
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn read_image_id() -> u64 {
     let mut response = [0; core::mem::size_of::<u64>()];
-    let (rc, len) = sys_send(
+    let (_rc, len) = sys_send(
         TaskId::KERNEL,
         Kipcnum::ReadImageId as u16,
         &[],
         &mut response,
         &[],
     );
-    assert_eq!(rc, 0);
-    assert_eq!(len, 8); // we *really* expect this to be a u64
     ssmarshal::deserialize(&response[..len]).unwrap_lite().0
 }
 
@@ -147,12 +154,11 @@ pub fn software_irq(task: usize, mask: u32) {
     let mut buf = [0; core::mem::size_of::<(u32, u32)>()];
     ssmarshal::serialize(&mut buf, &msg).unwrap_lite();
 
-    let (rc, _len) = sys_send(
+    let (_rc, _len) = sys_send(
         TaskId::KERNEL,
         Kipcnum::SoftwareIrq as u16,
         &buf,
         &mut [],
         &[],
     );
-    assert_eq!(rc, 0);
 }