diff --git a/include/fmt/base.h b/include/fmt/base.h
index e739f4b7..dde9b241 100644
--- a/include/fmt/base.h
+++ b/include/fmt/base.h
@@ -348,6 +348,9 @@ template <typename T> constexpr auto max_of(T a, T b) -> T {
   return a > b ? a : b;
 }
 
+FMT_NORETURN FMT_API void assert_fail(const char* file, int line,
+                                      const char* message);
+
 namespace detail {
 // Suppresses "unused variable" warnings with the method described in
 // https://herbsutter.com/2009/10/18/mailbag-shutting-up-compiler-warnings/.
@@ -388,7 +391,7 @@ FMT_NORETURN FMT_API void assert_fail(const char* file, int line,
 #  define FMT_ASSERT(condition, message)                                    \
     ((condition) /* void() fails with -Winvalid-constexpr on clang 4.0.1 */ \
          ? (void)0                                                          \
-         : fmt::detail::assert_fail(__FILE__, __LINE__, (message)))
+         : ::fmt::assert_fail(__FILE__, __LINE__, (message)))
 #endif
 
 #ifdef FMT_USE_INT128
diff --git a/include/fmt/format-inl.h b/include/fmt/format-inl.h
index 9861d29e..3b317af8 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format-inl.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format-inl.h
@@ -31,14 +31,22 @@
 #endif
 
 FMT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
-namespace detail {
 
+#ifndef FMT_CUSTOM_ASSERT_FAIL
 FMT_FUNC void assert_fail(const char* file, int line, const char* message) {
   // Use unchecked std::fprintf to avoid triggering another assertion when
   // writing to stderr fails.
   fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d: assertion failed: %s", file, line, message);
   abort();
 }
+#endif
+
+namespace detail {
+
+// For binary compatibility.
+FMT_FUNC void assert_fail(const char* file, int line, const char* message) {
+  ::fmt::assert_fail(file, line, message);
+}
 
 FMT_FUNC void format_error_code(detail::buffer<char>& out, int error_code,
                                 string_view message) noexcept {
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index 161df54a..e3b85feb 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -170,8 +170,7 @@ template <typename T> struct iterator_traits<fmt::basic_appender<T>> {
 #elif FMT_USE_EXCEPTIONS
 #  define FMT_THROW(x) throw x
 #else
-#  define FMT_THROW(x) \
-    ::fmt::detail::assert_fail(__FILE__, __LINE__, (x).what())
+#  define FMT_THROW(x) ::fmt::assert_fail(__FILE__, __LINE__, (x).what())
 #endif
 
 // Defining FMT_REDUCE_INT_INSTANTIATIONS to 1, will reduce the number of