diff --git a/src/cairo.c b/src/cairo.c
index 9bb2b663d..b7a1b867b 100644
--- a/src/cairo.c
+++ b/src/cairo.c
@@ -84,8 +84,7 @@ static const cairo_t _cairo_nil = {
 cairo_status_t
 _cairo_error (cairo_status_t status)
 {
-    assert (status > CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS &&
-	    status <= CAIRO_STATUS_LAST_STATUS);
+    assert (_cairo_status_is_error (status));
 
     return status;
 }
diff --git a/src/cairoint.h b/src/cairoint.h
index 1a3d16448..343b6f8df 100644
--- a/src/cairoint.h
+++ b/src/cairoint.h
@@ -2370,6 +2370,9 @@ _cairo_utf8_to_utf16 (const char *str,
 		      int	 *items_written);
 #endif
 
+#define _cairo_status_is_error(status) \
+    (status != CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS && status <= CAIRO_STATUS_LAST_STATUS)
+
 cairo_private cairo_status_t
 _cairo_error (cairo_status_t status);