diff --git a/benchmark/assert/ok.js b/benchmark/assert/ok.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..849be65539aef7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/assert/ok.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common.js');
+const assert = require('assert');
+
+const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
+  n: [1e9]
+});
+
+function main({ n }) {
+  var i;
+  bench.start();
+  for (i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
+    if (i % 2 === 0)
+      assert(true);
+    else
+      assert(true, 'foo bar baz');
+  }
+  bench.end(n);
+}
diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index 797252afc0e01e..ccc1de3a25d06a 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -206,13 +206,11 @@ function getErrMessage(call) {
   }
 }
 
-function innerOk(args, fn) {
-  var [value, message] = args;
-
+function innerOk(fn, argLen, value, message) {
   if (!value) {
     let generatedMessage = false;
 
-    if (args.length === 0) {
+    if (argLen === 0) {
       generatedMessage = true;
       message = 'No value argument passed to `assert.ok()`';
     } else if (message == null) {
@@ -253,7 +251,7 @@ function innerOk(args, fn) {
 // Pure assertion tests whether a value is truthy, as determined
 // by !!value.
 function ok(...args) {
-  innerOk(args, ok);
+  innerOk(ok, args.length, ...args);
 }
 assert.ok = ok;
 
@@ -563,7 +561,7 @@ assert.ifError = function ifError(err) {
 
 // Expose a strict only variant of assert
 function strict(...args) {
-  innerOk(args, strict);
+  innerOk(strict, args.length, ...args);
 }
 assert.strict = Object.assign(strict, assert, {
   equal: assert.strictEqual,