diff --git a/src/compile.cpp b/src/compile.cpp
index 44e27ed088..89e1b6d658 100644
--- a/src/compile.cpp
+++ b/src/compile.cpp
@@ -2488,6 +2488,8 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned ip,
       Compiler::Operand* table;
 
       if (instruction == getstatic) {
+        assert(t, fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC);
+
         if (fieldClass(t, field) != methodClass(t, context->method)
             and classNeedsInit(t, fieldClass(t, field)))
         {
@@ -2501,6 +2503,8 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned ip,
 
         table = frame->append(classStaticTable(t, fieldClass(t, field)));
       } else {
+        assert(t, (fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC) == 0);
+
         table = frame->popObject();
       }
 
@@ -3369,6 +3373,8 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned ip,
       object staticTable = 0;
 
       if (instruction == putstatic) {
+        assert(t, fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC);
+
         if (fieldClass(t, field) != methodClass(t, context->method)
             and classNeedsInit(t, fieldClass(t, field)))
         {
@@ -3381,6 +3387,8 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned ip,
         }
 
         staticTable = classStaticTable(t, fieldClass(t, field));      
+      } else {
+        assert(t, (fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC) == 0);
       }
 
       Compiler::Operand* value;
diff --git a/src/interpret.cpp b/src/interpret.cpp
index 72421baf6a..d3919f7117 100644
--- a/src/interpret.cpp
+++ b/src/interpret.cpp
@@ -1453,7 +1453,9 @@ interpret(Thread* t)
       object field = resolveField(t, codePool(t, code), index - 1);
       if (UNLIKELY(exception)) goto throw_;
       if (throwIfVolatileField(t, field)) goto throw_;
-      
+
+      assert(t, (fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC) == 0);
+
       pushField(t, popObject(t), field);
     } else {
       exception = makeNullPointerException(t);
@@ -1468,6 +1470,8 @@ interpret(Thread* t)
     if (UNLIKELY(exception)) goto throw_;
     if (throwIfVolatileField(t, field)) goto throw_;
 
+    assert(t, fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC);
+
     PROTECT(t, field);
 
     if (UNLIKELY(classInit(t, fieldClass(t, field), 3))) goto invoke;
@@ -2401,6 +2405,8 @@ interpret(Thread* t)
     if (UNLIKELY(exception)) goto throw_;
     if (throwIfVolatileField(t, field)) goto throw_;
 
+    assert(t, (fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC) == 0);
+
     switch (fieldCode(t, field)) {
     case ByteField:
     case BooleanField:
@@ -2467,6 +2473,8 @@ interpret(Thread* t)
     if (UNLIKELY(exception)) goto throw_;
     if (throwIfVolatileField(t, field)) goto throw_;
 
+    assert(t, fieldFlags(t, field) & ACC_STATIC);
+
     PROTECT(t, field);
 
     if (UNLIKELY(classInit(t, fieldClass(t, field), 3))) goto invoke;
diff --git a/src/machine.cpp b/src/machine.cpp
index dfa94cd66b..cd5c552487 100644
--- a/src/machine.cpp
+++ b/src/machine.cpp
@@ -835,10 +835,6 @@ parseFieldTable(Thread* t, Stream& s, object class_, object pool)
 
         staticTypes[staticCount++] = code;
       } else {
-        if (value) {
-          abort(t); // todo: handle non-static field initializers
-        }
-
         unsigned excess = (memberOffset % fieldSize(t, code)) % BytesPerWord;
         if (excess) {
           memberOffset += BytesPerWord - excess;
diff --git a/test/Misc.java b/test/Misc.java
index be83804e78..80c6bd7535 100644
--- a/test/Misc.java
+++ b/test/Misc.java
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ public class Misc {
   private static int beta;
   private static byte byte1, byte2, byte3;
 
+  private final int NonStaticConstant = 42;
+
   private int gamma;
   private int pajama;
   private boolean boolean1;
@@ -338,6 +340,8 @@ public class Misc {
     { Misc m = new Misc();
       m.toString();
 
+      expect(m.NonStaticConstant == 42);
+
       expect(m.time == 0xffffffffffffffffL);
       long t = m.time;
       expect(t == 0xffffffffffffffffL);