diff --git a/indra/llcommon/lldictionary.h b/indra/llcommon/lldictionary.h
index 552a805b705fd051cd95a1825838c701c4714ea7..bc3bc3e74ac1cca5601a425a53891175c3e18555 100644
--- a/indra/llcommon/lldictionary.h
+++ b/indra/llcommon/lldictionary.h
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@ class LLDictionary : public std::map<Index, Entry *>
 	virtual Index notFound() const
 	{
 		// default is to assert
-		llassert(false);
+		// don't assert -- makes it impossible to work on mesh-development and viewer-development simultaneously
+		//			-- davep 2010.10.29
+		//llassert(false);
 		return Index(-1);
 	}
 	void addEntry(Index index, Entry *entry)