diff --git a/src/arithmetic/bigint/exp.rs b/src/arithmetic/bigint/exp.rs
index 96004199e7..939ab21cb8 100644
--- a/src/arithmetic/bigint/exp.rs
+++ b/src/arithmetic/bigint/exp.rs
@@ -153,15 +153,13 @@ fn elem_exp_consttime_inner<'out, N, M, const STORAGE_LIMBS: usize>(
     let mut table = Buf::from(Uninit::from(table.as_mut()));
 
     // table[0] = base**0 (i.e. 1).
-    table.try_write_with::<LenMismatchError>(num_limbs.get(), |_init, uninit| {
-        Ok(
-            One::write_mont_identity_assuming_full_upper_limb(uninit, m)?
-                .leak_limbs_into_mut_less_safe(),
-        )
+    table.with_filled_and_unfilled_buf_checked(num_limbs.get(), |_init, uninit| {
+        One::write_mont_identity_assuming_full_upper_limb(uninit, m)
+            .map(elem::Mut::leak_limbs_into_mut_less_safe)
     })?;
 
     // table[1] = base*R == (base/R * RRR)/R
-    table.try_write_with(num_limbs.get(), |_init, uninit| {
+    table.with_filled_and_unfilled_buf_checked(num_limbs.get(), |_init, uninit| {
         limbs_mul_mont(
             (
                 uninit,
@@ -178,7 +176,7 @@ fn elem_exp_consttime_inner<'out, N, M, const STORAGE_LIMBS: usize>(
         let n = num_limbs.get();
 
         // table[2*i] = (n**i)**2/R
-        table.try_write_with(n, |init, uninit| {
+        table.with_filled_and_unfilled_buf_checked(n, |init, uninit| {
             let sqrt_start = init.len() / 2;
             let sqrt = init
                 .get(sqrt_start..(sqrt_start + n))
@@ -187,7 +185,7 @@ fn elem_exp_consttime_inner<'out, N, M, const STORAGE_LIMBS: usize>(
         })?;
 
         // table[2*i + 1] = (n**1)*(n**(2*i))/R
-        table.try_write_with(n, |init, uninit| {
+        table.with_filled_and_unfilled_buf_checked(n, |init, uninit| {
             let one = init.get(n..(n + n)).unwrap_or_else(|| unreachable!());
             let previous = init
                 .get((init.len() - n)..)
diff --git a/src/arithmetic/bigint/modulus/mont.rs b/src/arithmetic/bigint/modulus/mont.rs
index f5de8c7c45..2867b160be 100644
--- a/src/arithmetic/bigint/modulus/mont.rs
+++ b/src/arithmetic/bigint/modulus/mont.rs
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ impl ValidatedInput<'_> {
         if out.capacity() < storage_num_limbs {
             return Err(LenMismatchError::new(out.capacity()));
         }
-        out.with_unfilled_buf(|out| {
+        out.with_unfilled_buf_checked(|out| {
             // We can't compute `n0` until after we've written `value`.
             out.unfilled().write_repeat(limb::ZERO, N0::LIMBS_USED)?;
             out.unfilled().write(limb::limb_from_usize(num_limbs))?;
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ impl ValidatedInput<'_> {
             let (_num_limbs, value) = rest.split_first().unwrap_or_else(|| unreachable!()); // Since we just wrote it.
             N0::write_into(n0, value);
 
-            out.try_write_with(num_limbs, |init, uninit| {
+            out.with_filled_and_unfilled_buf_checked(num_limbs, |init, uninit| {
                 let m = &Mont::<'_, M>::from_storage_unchecked_less_safe(init, cpu);
                 let r: elem::Mut<'_, _, RR> =
                     One::write_mont_identity(uninit, m, self.len_bits())?.mul_r(m)?; // in place.
diff --git a/src/polyfill/uninit_slice.rs b/src/polyfill/uninit_slice.rs
index bb39b8baa3..6ee1b17bbf 100644
--- a/src/polyfill/uninit_slice.rs
+++ b/src/polyfill/uninit_slice.rs
@@ -313,14 +313,11 @@ impl<'target, E: Copy> Buf<'target, E> {
     /// Reserves the first `len` bytes of the unfilled space as `to_fill`, then
     /// calls `f(filled, to_fill)` where `filled` is the filled space. If `f`
     /// returns `Ok(filled)`, then `filled` must be `to_fill`, filled in.
-    pub fn try_write_with<Err>(
+    pub fn with_filled_and_unfilled_buf_checked<Err: From<LenMismatchError>>(
         &mut self,
         len: usize,
         f: impl for<'a> FnOnce(&mut [E], Uninit<'a, E>) -> Result<&'a mut [E], Err>,
-    ) -> Result<(), Err>
-    where
-        Err: From<LenMismatchError>,
-    {
+    ) -> Result<(), Err> {
         let (filled, mut unfilled) = self.split_at_spare_mut();
         let Some(to_fill) = unfilled.get_mut(..len) else {
             return Err(LenMismatchError::new(unfilled.len()))?;
@@ -387,17 +384,21 @@ impl<E: Copy> Cursor<'_, '_, E> {
 
     /// See `core::io::BorrowedCursor::with_unfilled_buf`.
     ///
-    /// # Panics
-    ///
-    /// Panics if `f` replaces `Buf` with a different one.
-    pub fn with_unfilled_buf<R>(&mut self, f: impl FnOnce(&mut Buf<'_, E>) -> R) -> R {
+    /// `f` must not replace the `Buf` it is given with a different one;
+    /// i.e. it must not assign into the mutable reference it is given.
+    pub fn with_unfilled_buf_checked<R, Err: From<LenMismatchError>>(
+        &mut self,
+        f: impl FnOnce(&mut Buf<'_, E>) -> Result<R, Err>,
+    ) -> Result<R, Err> {
         let mut buf = Buf::from(self.buf.unfilled_uninit());
         let ptr_and_len: *const [MaybeUninit<E>] = ptr::from_ref(buf.storage.target);
         let res = f(&mut buf);
         // It would be OK if the length became shorter, but there's no reason
         // for us to support that case. It is important that the address is the
         // same and the length isn't longer.
-        assert!(ptr::eq(buf.storage.target, ptr_and_len));
+        if !ptr::eq(buf.storage.target, ptr_and_len) {
+            Err(LenMismatchError::new(buf.storage.target.len()))?;
+        }
         debug_assert!(buf.filled <= buf.storage.len()); // invariant
         self.buf.filled += buf.filled;
         // The above assertions ensure our invariant is maintained.