diff --git a/include/dwarfs/error.h b/include/dwarfs/error.h
index 4b65ccaf..efddf7d7 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/error.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/error.h
@@ -74,16 +74,22 @@ class system_error : public std::system_error {
 #define DWARFS_CHECK(expr, message)                                            \
   do {                                                                         \
     if (!(expr)) {                                                             \
-      assertion_failed(#expr, message, std::source_location::current());       \
+      ::dwarfs::assertion_failed(#expr, message,                               \
+                                 std::source_location::current());             \
     }                                                                          \
-  } while (0)
+  } while (false)
+
+#define DWARFS_PANIC(message)                                                  \
+  do {                                                                         \
+    ::dwarfs::handle_panic(message, std::source_location::current());          \
+  } while (false)
 
 #define DWARFS_NOTHROW(expr)                                                   \
   [&]() -> decltype(expr) {                                                    \
     try {                                                                      \
       return expr;                                                             \
     } catch (...) {                                                            \
-      handle_nothrow(#expr, std::source_location::current());                  \
+      ::dwarfs::handle_nothrow(#expr, std::source_location::current());        \
     }                                                                          \
   }()
 
@@ -96,4 +102,7 @@ handle_nothrow(std::string_view expr, std::source_location loc);
 assertion_failed(std::string_view expr, std::string_view message,
                  std::source_location loc);
 
+[[noreturn]] void
+handle_panic(std::string_view message, std::source_location loc);
+
 } // namespace dwarfs
diff --git a/src/error.cpp b/src/error.cpp
index faf4269b..a2adb351 100644
--- a/src/error.cpp
+++ b/src/error.cpp
@@ -93,4 +93,10 @@ void assertion_failed(std::string_view expr, std::string_view msg,
   do_terminate();
 }
 
+void handle_panic(std::string_view msg, std::source_location loc) {
+  std::cerr << "Panic: " << msg << " in " << loc.file_name() << "("
+            << loc.line() << ")\n";
+  do_terminate();
+}
+
 } // namespace dwarfs