diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 39061a4..301eaa0 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ license-file = "LICENSE"
 keywords = ["zkSNARKs", "cryptography", "proofs"]
 
 [dependencies]
-bellperson =  { git = "https://github.com/filecoin-project/bellperson", branch = "nova-minimal" }
+bellperson =  { git = "https://github.com/filecoin-project/bellperson" }
 ff = "0.11.0"
 merlin = "2.0.0"
 rand = "0.8.4"
diff --git a/src/bellperson/shape_cs.rs b/src/bellperson/shape_cs.rs
index 2e07a07..8b5dfe9 100644
--- a/src/bellperson/shape_cs.rs
+++ b/src/bellperson/shape_cs.rs
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ where
     let pp = |s: &mut String, lc: &LinearCombination<G::Scalar>| {
       s.push('(');
       let mut is_first = true;
-      for (var, coeff) in proc_lc::<G::Scalar>(&lc) {
+      for (var, coeff) in proc_lc::<G::Scalar>(lc) {
         if coeff == negone {
           s.push_str(" - ")
         } else if !is_first {
@@ -213,9 +213,7 @@ where
 
   /// TODO: document
   fn set_named_obj(&mut self, path: String, to: NamedObject) {
-    if self.named_objects.contains_key(&path) {
-      panic!("tried to create object at existing path: {}", path);
-    }
+    assert!(!self.named_objects.contains_key(&path), "tried to create object at existing path: {}", path);
 
     self.named_objects.insert(path, to);
   }
@@ -308,9 +306,7 @@ where
 }
 
 fn compute_path(ns: &[String], this: &str) -> String {
-  if this.chars().any(|a| a == '/') {
-    panic!("'/' is not allowed in names");
-  }
+  assert!(!this.chars().any(|a| a == '/'), "'/' is not allowed in names");
 
   let mut name = String::new();