diff --git a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/exception.hpp b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/exception.hpp
index 223b4f60..843abcff 100644
--- a/include/boost/numeric/ublas/exception.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/numeric/ublas/exception.hpp
@@ -254,12 +254,10 @@ namespace boost { namespace numeric { namespace ublas {
 //    template<class E>
 //    BOOST_UBLAS_INLINE
 //    void check_ex (bool expression, const char *file, int line, const E &e) {}
-#define BOOST_UBLAS_CHECK(expression, e)
-    {    (expession);
-    }
-#define BOOST_UBLAS_CHECK_EX(expression, file, line, e)
-    {    (expession);
-    }
+#define BOOST_UBLAS_CHECK(expression, e) \
+    if (! (expression) );
+#define BOOST_UBLAS_CHECK_EX(expression, file, line, e) \
+    if (! (expression) );
 #endif