diff --git a/compiler/src/scala/quoted/runtime/impl/QuotesImpl.scala b/compiler/src/scala/quoted/runtime/impl/QuotesImpl.scala
index e8524a193e5a..ef2eacf42225 100644
--- a/compiler/src/scala/quoted/runtime/impl/QuotesImpl.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/scala/quoted/runtime/impl/QuotesImpl.scala
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ class QuotesImpl private (using val ctx: Context) extends Quotes, QuoteUnpickler
 
     object DefDef extends DefDefModule:
       def apply(symbol: Symbol, rhsFn: List[List[Tree]] => Option[Term]): DefDef =
-        xCheckMacroAssert(symbol.isTerm, s"expected a term symbol but received $symbol")
+        xCheckMacroAssert(symbol.isTerm, s"expected a term symbol, but received $symbol")
         xCheckMacroAssert(symbol.flags.is(Flags.Method), "expected a symbol with `Method` flag set")
         withDefaultPos(tpd.DefDef(symbol.asTerm, prefss =>
           xCheckedMacroOwners(xCheckMacroValidExpr(rhsFn(prefss)), symbol).getOrElse(tpd.EmptyTree)
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ class QuotesImpl private (using val ctx: Context) extends Quotes, QuoteUnpickler
       def term(tp: TermRef): Ref =
         withDefaultPos(tpd.ref(tp).asInstanceOf[tpd.RefTree])
       def apply(sym: Symbol): Ref =
-        assert(sym.isTerm)
+        assert(sym.isTerm, s"expected a term symbol, but received $sym")
         val refTree = tpd.ref(sym) match
           case t @ tpd.This(ident) => // not a RefTree, so we need to work around this - issue #19732
             // ident in `This` can be a TypeIdent of sym, so we manually prepare the ref here,
@@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ class QuotesImpl private (using val ctx: Context) extends Quotes, QuoteUnpickler
       def of[T <: AnyKind](using tp: scala.quoted.Type[T]): TypeTree =
         tp.asInstanceOf[TypeImpl].typeTree
       def ref(sym: Symbol): TypeTree =
-        assert(sym.isType, "Expected a type symbol, but got " + sym)
+        assert(sym.isType, s"Expected a type symbol, but got $sym")
         tpd.ref(sym)
     end TypeTree
 
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ class QuotesImpl private (using val ctx: Context) extends Quotes, QuoteUnpickler
 
     object TypeIdent extends TypeIdentModule:
       def apply(sym: Symbol): TypeTree =
-        assert(sym.isType)
+        assert(sym.isType, s"Expected a type symbol, but got $sym")
         withDefaultPos(tpd.ref(sym).asInstanceOf[tpd.TypeTree])
       def copy(original: Tree)(name: String): TypeIdent =
         tpd.cpy.Ident(original)(name.toTypeName)
diff --git a/tests/neg/i20946/Macro_1.scala b/tests/neg/i20946/Macro_1.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f598f5d278ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i20946/Macro_1.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import scala.quoted.*
+
+def macroWithAssertFailingImpl[T: Type](t: Expr[T])(using Quotes): Expr[Unit] = {
+  import quotes.reflect.*
+
+  try
+    Ref(TypeRepr.of[T].typeSymbol)
+  catch
+    case ex: Throwable =>
+      if ex.getMessage().contains("expected a term symbol, but received ") then
+        throw ex
+
+  '{()}
+}
diff --git a/tests/neg/i20946/Test_2.scala b/tests/neg/i20946/Test_2.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..80ae0a95fa4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i20946/Test_2.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+inline def macroWithAssertFailing[T](t: T): Unit = ${ macroWithAssertFailingImpl[T]('t) }
+
+@main
+def run =
+  macroWithAssertFailing[Int](123) // error
diff --git a/tests/neg/i20946a/Macro_1.scala b/tests/neg/i20946a/Macro_1.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b3603fe91b10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i20946a/Macro_1.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import scala.quoted.*
+
+def macroWithAssertFailingImpl[T: Type](t: Expr[T])(using Quotes): Expr[Unit] = {
+  import quotes.reflect.*
+
+  try
+    TypeIdent(t.asTerm.symbol)
+  catch
+    case ex: Throwable =>
+      if ex.getMessage().contains("Expected a type symbol, but got ") then
+        throw ex
+
+  '{()}
+}
diff --git a/tests/neg/i20946a/Test_2.scala b/tests/neg/i20946a/Test_2.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..80ae0a95fa4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i20946a/Test_2.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+inline def macroWithAssertFailing[T](t: T): Unit = ${ macroWithAssertFailingImpl[T]('t) }
+
+@main
+def run =
+  macroWithAssertFailing[Int](123) // error