diff --git a/drivers/netdev2_ieee802154/netdev2_ieee802154.c b/drivers/netdev2_ieee802154/netdev2_ieee802154.c
index 80868642fa..c409e8fa13 100644
--- a/drivers/netdev2_ieee802154/netdev2_ieee802154.c
+++ b/drivers/netdev2_ieee802154/netdev2_ieee802154.c
@@ -32,9 +32,7 @@ static int _get_iid(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, eui64_t *value, size_t max_len)
     uint8_t *addr;
     uint16_t addr_len;
 
-    if (max_len < sizeof(eui64_t)) {
-        return -EOVERFLOW;
-    }
+    assert(max_len >= sizeof(eui64_t));
 
     if (dev->flags & NETDEV2_IEEE802154_SRC_MODE_LONG) {
         addr_len = IEEE802154_LONG_ADDRESS_LEN;
@@ -56,27 +54,18 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_get(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
 
     switch (opt) {
         case NETOPT_ADDRESS:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(dev->short_addr)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len >= sizeof(dev->short_addr));
             memcpy(value, dev->short_addr, sizeof(dev->short_addr));
             res = sizeof(dev->short_addr);
             break;
         case NETOPT_ADDRESS_LONG:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(dev->long_addr)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len >= sizeof(dev->long_addr));
             memcpy(value, dev->long_addr, sizeof(dev->long_addr));
             res = sizeof(dev->long_addr);
             break;
         case NETOPT_ADDR_LEN:
         case NETOPT_SRC_LEN:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(uint16_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(uint16_t));
             if (dev->flags & NETDEV2_IEEE802154_SRC_MODE_LONG) {
                 *((uint16_t *)value) = IEEE802154_LONG_ADDRESS_LEN;
             }
@@ -86,26 +75,17 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_get(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
             res = sizeof(uint16_t);
             break;
         case NETOPT_NID:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(dev->pan)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(dev->pan));
             *((uint16_t *)value) = dev->pan;
             res = sizeof(dev->pan);
             break;
         case NETOPT_CHANNEL:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(uint16_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(uint16_t));
             *((uint16_t *)value) = (uint16_t)dev->chan;
             res = sizeof(dev->chan);
             break;
         case NETOPT_AUTOACK:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(netopt_enable_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(netopt_enable_t));
             if (dev->flags & NETDEV2_IEEE802154_ACK_REQ) {
                 *((netopt_enable_t *)value) = NETOPT_ENABLE;
             }
@@ -115,10 +95,7 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_get(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
             res = sizeof(netopt_enable_t);
             break;
         case NETOPT_RAWMODE:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(netopt_enable_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(netopt_enable_t));
             if (dev->flags & NETDEV2_IEEE802154_RAW) {
                 *((netopt_enable_t *)value) = NETOPT_ENABLE;
             }
@@ -129,19 +106,13 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_get(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
             break;
 #ifdef MODULE_GNRC
         case NETOPT_PROTO:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(gnrc_nettype_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(gnrc_nettype_t));
             *((gnrc_nettype_t *)value) = dev->proto;
             res = sizeof(gnrc_nettype_t);
             break;
 #endif
         case NETOPT_DEVICE_TYPE:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(uint16_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(uint16_t));
             *((uint16_t *)value) = NETDEV2_TYPE_IEEE802154;
             res = sizeof(uint16_t);
             break;
@@ -150,10 +121,7 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_get(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
             break;
 #ifdef MODULE_NETSTATS_L2
         case NETOPT_STATS:
-            if (max_len < sizeof(uintptr_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(max_len == sizeof(uintptr_t));
             *((netstats_t **)value) = &dev->netdev.stats;
             res = sizeof(uintptr_t);
             break;
@@ -172,10 +140,7 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_set(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
     switch (opt) {
         case NETOPT_CHANNEL:
         {
-            if (len > sizeof(uint16_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(len == sizeof(uint16_t));
             uint16_t chan = *((uint16_t *)value);
             /* real validity needs to be checked by device, since sub-GHz and
              * 2.4 GHz band radios have different legal values. Here we only
@@ -186,29 +151,20 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_set(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
             break;
         }
         case NETOPT_ADDRESS:
-            if (len > sizeof(dev->short_addr)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(len <= sizeof(dev->short_addr));
             memset(dev->short_addr, 0, sizeof(dev->short_addr));
             memcpy(dev->short_addr, value, len);
             res = sizeof(dev->short_addr);
             break;
         case NETOPT_ADDRESS_LONG:
-            if (len > sizeof(dev->long_addr)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(len <= sizeof(dev->long_addr));
             memset(dev->long_addr, 0, sizeof(dev->long_addr));
             memcpy(dev->long_addr, value, len);
             res = sizeof(dev->long_addr);
             break;
         case NETOPT_ADDR_LEN:
         case NETOPT_SRC_LEN:
-            if (len > sizeof(uint16_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(len == sizeof(uint16_t));
             switch ((*(uint16_t *)value)) {
                 case IEEE802154_SHORT_ADDRESS_LEN:
                     dev->flags &= ~NETDEV2_IEEE802154_SRC_MODE_LONG;
@@ -223,10 +179,7 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_set(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
             res = sizeof(uint16_t);
             break;
         case NETOPT_NID:
-            if (len > sizeof(uint16_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(len == sizeof(dev->pan));
             dev->pan = *((uint16_t *)value);
             res = sizeof(dev->pan);
             break;
@@ -250,10 +203,7 @@ int netdev2_ieee802154_set(netdev2_ieee802154_t *dev, netopt_t opt, void *value,
             break;
 #ifdef MODULE_GNRC
         case NETOPT_PROTO:
-            if (len > sizeof(gnrc_nettype_t)) {
-                res = -EOVERFLOW;
-                break;
-            }
+            assert(len == sizeof(gnrc_nettype_t));
             dev->proto = *((gnrc_nettype_t *)value);
             res = sizeof(gnrc_nettype_t);
             break;