diff --git a/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs b/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs
index 67db68649a..0da3ed60d6 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use std::time::Instant;
 
 use hashbrown::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use itertools::Itertools;
-use log::{debug, info, Level};
+use log::{debug, info, warn, Level};
 use plonky2_util::ceil_div_usize;
 
 use crate::field::cosets::get_unique_coset_shifts;
@@ -917,9 +917,20 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
 
     /// Builds a "full circuit", with both prover and verifier data.
     pub fn build_with_options<C: GenericConfig<D, F = F>>(
-        mut self,
+        self,
         commit_to_sigma: bool,
     ) -> CircuitData<F, C, D> {
+        let (circuit_data, success) = self.try_build_with_options(commit_to_sigma);
+        if !success {
+            panic!("Failed to build circuit");
+        }
+        circuit_data
+    }
+
+    pub fn try_build_with_options<C: GenericConfig<D, F = F>>(
+        mut self,
+        commit_to_sigma: bool,
+    ) -> (CircuitData<F, C, D>, bool) {
         let mut timing = TimingTree::new("preprocess", Level::Trace);
 
         #[cfg(feature = "std")]
@@ -1125,8 +1136,14 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
             num_lookup_selectors,
             luts: self.luts,
         };
+
+        let mut success = true;
+
         if let Some(goal_data) = self.goal_common_data {
-            assert_eq!(goal_data, common, "The expected circuit data passed to cyclic recursion method did not match the actual circuit");
+            if goal_data != common {
+                warn!("The expected circuit data passed to cyclic recursion method did not match the actual circuit");
+                success = false;
+            }
         }
 
         let prover_only = ProverOnlyCircuitData::<F, C, D> {
@@ -1151,11 +1168,14 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
         timing.print();
         #[cfg(feature = "std")]
         debug!("Building circuit took {}s", start.elapsed().as_secs_f32());
-        CircuitData {
-            prover_only,
-            verifier_only,
-            common,
-        }
+        (
+            CircuitData {
+                prover_only,
+                verifier_only,
+                common,
+            },
+            success,
+        )
     }
 
     pub fn build<C: GenericConfig<D, F = F>>(self) -> CircuitData<F, C, D> {
diff --git a/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_data.rs b/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_data.rs
index c93de8cb98..e850cb4269 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_data.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/plonk/circuit_data.rs
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, C: GenericConfig<D, F = F>, const D: usize>
 }
 
 /// Circuit data required by the prover.
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct VerifierCircuitData<
     F: RichField + Extendable<D>,
     C: GenericConfig<D, F = F>,