@@ -752,6 +752,14 @@ iterations of the loop.
      from the block stack.
 
 
+.. opcode:: LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR
+
+   Pushes :exc:`AssertionError` onto the stack.  Used by the :keyword:`assert`
+   statement.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 3.9
+
+
 .. opcode:: LOAD_BUILD_CLASS
 
    Pushes :func:`builtins.__build_class__` onto the stack.  It is later called
 
@@ -226,3 +226,12 @@ Changes in the Python API
 
 * The :mod:`venv` activation scripts no longer special-case when
   ``__VENV_PROMPT__`` is set to ``""``.
+
+
+CPython bytecode changes
+------------------------
+
+* The :opcode:`LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR` opcode was added for handling the
+  :keyword:`assert` statement. Previously, the assert statement would not work
+  correctly if the :exc:`AssertionError` exception was being shadowed.
+  (Contributed by Zackery Spytz in :issue:`34880`.)
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ def _write_atomic(path, data, mode=0o666):
 #     Python 3.8b2  3412 (Swap the position of positional args and positional
 #                         only args in ast.arguments #37593)
 #     Python 3.8b4  3413 (Fix "break" and "continue" in "finally" #37830)
+#     Python 3.9a0  3420 (add LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR #34880)
 #
 # MAGIC must change whenever the bytecode emitted by the compiler may no
 # longer be understood by older implementations of the eval loop (usually
@@ -279,7 +280,7 @@ def _write_atomic(path, data, mode=0o666):
 # Whenever MAGIC_NUMBER is changed, the ranges in the magic_values array
 # in PC/launcher.c must also be updated.
 
-MAGIC_NUMBER = (3413).to_bytes(2, 'little') + b'\r\n'
+MAGIC_NUMBER = (3420).to_bytes(2, 'little') + b'\r\n'
 _RAW_MAGIC_NUMBER = int.from_bytes(MAGIC_NUMBER, 'little')  # For import.c
 
 _PYCACHE = '__pycache__'
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def jabs_op(name, op):
 def_op('LOAD_BUILD_CLASS', 71)
 def_op('YIELD_FROM', 72)
 def_op('GET_AWAITABLE', 73)
-
+def_op('LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR', 74)
 def_op('INPLACE_LSHIFT', 75)
 def_op('INPLACE_RSHIFT', 76)
 def_op('INPLACE_AND', 77)
 
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ def bug1333982(x=[]):
 dis_bug1333982 = """\
 %3d           0 LOAD_CONST               1 (0)
               2 POP_JUMP_IF_TRUE        26
-              4 LOAD_GLOBAL              0 (AssertionError)
+              4 LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR
               6 LOAD_CONST               2 (<code object <listcomp> at 0x..., file "%s", line %d>)
               8 LOAD_CONST               3 ('bug1333982.<locals>.<listcomp>')
              10 MAKE_FUNCTION            0
 
@@ -1285,6 +1285,22 @@ def g():
                 next(i)
                 next(i)
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(__debug__, "Won't work if __debug__ is False")
+    def test_assert_shadowing(self):
+        # Shadowing AssertionError would cause the assert statement to
+        # misbehave.
+        global AssertionError
+        AssertionError = TypeError
+        try:
+            assert False, 'hello'
+        except BaseException as e:
+            del AssertionError
+            self.assertIsInstance(e, AssertionError)
+            self.assertEqual(str(e), 'hello')
+        else:
+            del AssertionError
+            self.fail('Expected exception')
+
 
 class ImportErrorTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+The :keyword:`assert` statement now works properly if the
+:exc:`AssertionError` exception is being shadowed.
+Patch by Zackery Spytz.
@@ -2242,6 +2242,13 @@ _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault(PyFrameObject *f, int throwflag)
             }
         }
 
+        case TARGET(LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR): {
+            PyObject *value = PyExc_AssertionError;
+            Py_INCREF(value);
+            PUSH(value);
+            FAST_DISPATCH();
+        }
+
         case TARGET(LOAD_BUILD_CLASS): {
             _Py_IDENTIFIER(__build_class__);
 
 
@@ -1129,6 +1129,8 @@ stack_effect(int opcode, int oparg, int jump)
             return (oparg & FVS_MASK) == FVS_HAVE_SPEC ? -1 : 0;
         case LOAD_METHOD:
             return 1;
+        case LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR:
+            return 1;
         default:
             return PY_INVALID_STACK_EFFECT;
     }
@@ -3253,16 +3255,10 @@ compiler_from_import(struct compiler *c, stmt_ty s)
 static int
 compiler_assert(struct compiler *c, stmt_ty s)
 {
-    static PyObject *assertion_error = NULL;
     basicblock *end;
 
     if (c->c_optimize)
         return 1;
-    if (assertion_error == NULL) {
-        assertion_error = PyUnicode_InternFromString("AssertionError");
-        if (assertion_error == NULL)
-            return 0;
-    }
     if (s->v.Assert.test->kind == Tuple_kind &&
         asdl_seq_LEN(s->v.Assert.test->v.Tuple.elts) > 0)
     {
@@ -3277,7 +3273,7 @@ compiler_assert(struct compiler *c, stmt_ty s)
         return 0;
     if (!compiler_jump_if(c, s->v.Assert.test, end, 1))
         return 0;
-    ADDOP_O(c, LOAD_GLOBAL, assertion_error, names);
+    ADDOP(c, LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR);
     if (s->v.Assert.msg) {
         VISIT(c, expr, s->v.Assert.msg);
         ADDOP_I(c, CALL_FUNCTION, 1);
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
	1	+ The :keyword:`assert` statement now works properly if the
	2	+ :exc:`AssertionError` exception is being shadowed.
	3	+ Patch by Zackery Spytz.
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
@@ -2242,6 +2242,13 @@ _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault(PyFrameObject *f, int throwflag)
2242	2242	}
2243	2243	}
2244	2244
	2245	+ case TARGET(LOAD_ASSERTION_ERROR): {
	2246	+ PyObject *value = PyExc_AssertionError;
	2247	+ Py_INCREF(value);
	2248	+ PUSH(value);
	2249	+ FAST_DISPATCH();
	2250	+ }
	2251	+
2245	2252	case TARGET(LOAD_BUILD_CLASS): {
2246	2253	_Py_IDENTIFIER(__build_class__);
2247	2254