diff --git a/cabal.project b/cabal.project
index aea54a32efe..5f0af8dfa4c 100644
--- a/cabal.project
+++ b/cabal.project
@@ -25,32 +25,5 @@ constraints: these -assoc
 constraints: text >= 2.0
 constraints: time >= 1.12
 
--- So us hackers get all the assertion failures early:
---
--- NOTE: currently commented out, see
--- https://github.com/haskell/cabal/issues/3911
--- as a workaround we specify it for each package individually:
---
--- program-options
---   ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
---
-package Cabal
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-
-package cabal-testsuite
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-
-package Cabal-QuickCheck
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-
-package Cabal-tree-diff
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-
-package Cabal-described
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-
-package cabal-install-solver
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-
-package cabal-install
+program-options
   ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
diff --git a/cabal.project.coverage b/cabal.project.coverage
index 7c39810b88f..2afe3d10df7 100644
--- a/cabal.project.coverage
+++ b/cabal.project.coverage
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ allow-newer: windns-0.1.0.1:base
 constraints: rere -rere-cfg
 constraints: these
 
+program-options
+  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
+
 -- NOTE: for library coverage in multi-project builds,
 -- see:
 --
@@ -39,41 +42,33 @@ constraints: these
 -- the `cabal-install` library
 --
 package Cabal-syntax
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: False
   library-coverage: False
 
 package Cabal
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: False
   library-coverage: False
 
 package cabal-testsuite
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: False
   library-coverage: False
 
 package Cabal-QuickCheck
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: False
   library-coverage: False
 
 package Cabal-tree-diff
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: False
   library-coverage: False
 
 package Cabal-described
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: False
   library-coverage: False
 
 package cabal-install-solver
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: False
   library-coverage: False
 
 package cabal-install
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
   coverage: True
   library-coverage: True
diff --git a/cabal.project.libonly b/cabal.project.libonly
index e11d81f5d77..59873fd4ad1 100644
--- a/cabal.project.libonly
+++ b/cabal.project.libonly
@@ -11,17 +11,4 @@ tests: True
 --optional-packages: */
 
 program-options
-  -- So us hackers get all the assertion failures early:
-  --
-  -- NOTE: currently commented out, see
-  -- https://github.com/haskell/cabal/issues/3911
-  --
-  -- ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-  --
-  -- as a workaround we specify it for each package individually:
-package Cabal-syntax
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-package Cabal
-  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
-package cabal-testsuite
   ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
diff --git a/cabal.project.validate b/cabal.project.validate
index 6f9dc0b45d3..66e823f62b1 100644
--- a/cabal.project.validate
+++ b/cabal.project.validate
@@ -19,11 +19,14 @@ constraints: these -assoc
 
 write-ghc-environment-files: never
 
+program-options
+  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
+
 package Cabal-syntax
-  ghc-options: -Werror -fno-ignore-asserts
+  ghc-options: -Werror
 package Cabal
-  ghc-options: -Werror -fno-ignore-asserts
+  ghc-options: -Werror
 package cabal-testsuite
-  ghc-options: -Werror -fno-ignore-asserts
+  ghc-options: -Werror
 package cabal-install
-  ghc-options: -Werror -fno-ignore-asserts
+  ghc-options: -Werror
diff --git a/cabal.project.validate.libonly b/cabal.project.validate.libonly
index 2566a5cc8d2..3baafa1661a 100644
--- a/cabal.project.validate.libonly
+++ b/cabal.project.validate.libonly
@@ -14,12 +14,15 @@ write-ghc-environment-files: never
 constraints: rere -rere-cfg
 constraints: these -assoc
 
+program-options
+  ghc-options: -fno-ignore-asserts
+
 package Cabal-syntax
-  ghc-options: -Werror -fno-ignore-asserts
+  ghc-options: -Werror
 package Cabal
-  ghc-options: -Werror -fno-ignore-asserts
+  ghc-options: -Werror
 package cabal-testsuite
-  ghc-options: -Werror -fno-ignore-asserts
+  ghc-options: -Werror
 
 -- https://github.com/haskell-hvr/cryptohash-sha256/issues/12
 allow-newer: cryptohash-sha256:base