diff --git a/src/HGQ/proxy/fixed_point_quantizer.py b/src/HGQ/proxy/fixed_point_quantizer.py
index 97ad5d7..6588204 100644
--- a/src/HGQ/proxy/fixed_point_quantizer.py
+++ b/src/HGQ/proxy/fixed_point_quantizer.py
@@ -209,7 +209,9 @@ def heterogeneous(self):
 
     def get_config(self):
         assert tf.reduce_all((self.keep_negative == 0) | (self.keep_negative == 1)), 'Illegal bitwidth config: keep_negative must be 0 or 1.'
-        assert tf.reduce_all(self.bits >= 0), 'Illegal bitwidth config: bits must be non-negative.'  # type:ignore
+        if not tf.reduce_all(self.bits >= 0):  # type:ignore
+            warn('Illegal bitwidth config: bits must be non-negative.')
+            self.bits.assign(tf.maximum(self.bits, 0))
         conf = super().get_config()
         conf['RND'] = self.RND
         conf['SAT'] = self.SAT