diff --git a/src/mono/browser/browser.proj b/src/mono/browser/browser.proj
index f7429193002a60..7646be944b156c 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/browser.proj
+++ b/src/mono/browser/browser.proj
@@ -369,8 +369,7 @@
       <CMakeConfigurationEmccFlags Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">-g -Os -s -DDEBUG=1 -DENABLE_AOT_PROFILER=1 -DENABLE_BROWSER_PROFILER=1</CMakeConfigurationEmccFlags>
       <CMakeConfigurationEmccFlags Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">-Oz -DENABLE_BROWSER_PROFILER=1</CMakeConfigurationEmccFlags>
 
-      <CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'"  >$(CMakeConfigurationEmccFlags) -s ASSERTIONS=1 </CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags>
-      <CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">-O2</CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags>
+      <CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags >$(CMakeConfigurationEmccFlags) -s ASSERTIONS=1 </CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags>
 
       <!-- -lexports.js has the magical property of disabling minification of export names -->
       <CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags>$(CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags) -s EXPORT_ES6=1 -lexports.js</CMakeConfigurationLinkFlags>
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/build/BrowserWasmApp.targets b/src/mono/browser/build/BrowserWasmApp.targets
index aa231c45d8b7cc..0c793e8a66d8e9 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/build/BrowserWasmApp.targets
+++ b/src/mono/browser/build/BrowserWasmApp.targets
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@
       <_EmccLDSFlags Include="-s STACK_SIZE=$(EmccStackSize)" />
       <_EmccLDSFlags Include="-s WASM_BIGINT=1" />
       <_EmccLDSFlags Condition="'$(EmccEnvironment)' != ''" Include="-s ENVIRONMENT=&quot;$(EmccEnvironment)&quot;" />
-      <_EmccLDSFlags Condition="'$(EmccEnableAssertions)' == 'true'" Include="-s ASSERTIONS=1" />
+      <_EmccLDSFlags Include="-s ASSERTIONS=1" />
 
       <_WasmNativeFileForLinking Include="%(_BitcodeFile.ObjectFile)" />
       <_WasmNativeFileForLinking Include="%(_WasmSourceFileToCompile.ObjectFile)" />
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/invoke-js.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/invoke-js.ts
index c5d385a17e4e44..1be08285613427 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/invoke-js.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/invoke-js.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { wrap_as_cancelable_promise } from "./cancelable-promise";
 import { threads_c_functions as tcwraps } from "./cwraps";
 import { monoThreadInfo } from "./pthreads";
 import { stringToUTF16Ptr } from "./strings";
+import { monoSafeSetTimeout } from "./scheduling";
 
 export const js_import_wrapper_by_fn_handle: Function[] = <any>[null];// 0th slot is dummy, main thread we free them on shutdown. On web worker thread we free them when worker is detached.
 
@@ -501,9 +502,9 @@ export function assert_c_interop (): void {
 // make sure we are not blocking em_task_queue_execute up the call stack
 // so that when we call back to managed, the FS calls could still be processed by the UI thread
 // see also emscripten_yield which can process the FS calls inside the spin wait
-export function invoke_later_when_on_ui_thread_sync (fn: Function, args: JSMarshalerArguments) {
+export function invoke_later_when_on_ui_thread_sync (fn: (() => void), args: JSMarshalerArguments) {
     if (WasmEnableThreads && monoThreadInfo.isUI) {
-        Module.safeSetTimeout(() => {
+        monoSafeSetTimeout(() => {
             fn();
             // see also mono_threads_wasm_sync_run_in_target_thread_vii_cb
             const done_semaphore = get_sync_done_semaphore_ptr(args);
@@ -516,9 +517,9 @@ export function invoke_later_when_on_ui_thread_sync (fn: Function, args: JSMarsh
 
 // make sure we are not blocking em_task_queue_execute up the call stack
 // so that when we call back to managed, the FS calls could still be processed by the UI thread
-export function invoke_later_when_on_ui_thread_async (fn: Function) {
+export function invoke_later_when_on_ui_thread_async (fn: (() => void)) {
     if (WasmEnableThreads && monoThreadInfo.isUI) {
-        Module.safeSetTimeout(fn, 0);
+        monoSafeSetTimeout(fn, 0);
     } else {
         fn();
     }
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/deputy-thread.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/deputy-thread.ts
index 4b514b28a4aed3..ddb38d1f666ebb 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/deputy-thread.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/deputy-thread.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { Module, loaderHelpers, runtimeHelpers } from "../globals";
 import { start_runtime } from "../startup";
 import { WorkerToMainMessageType } from "../types/internal";
 import { forceThreadMemoryViewRefresh } from "../memory";
+import { monoSafeSetTimeout } from "../scheduling";
 
 export function mono_wasm_start_deputy_thread_async () {
     if (!WasmEnableThreads) return;
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ export function mono_wasm_start_deputy_thread_async () {
             info: monoThreadInfo,
         });
         Module.runtimeKeepalivePush();
-        Module.safeSetTimeout(async () => {
+        monoSafeSetTimeout(async () => {
             try {
                 forceThreadMemoryViewRefresh();
 
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/shared.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/shared.ts
index 69137957eeeebe..290233b29ae956 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/shared.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/pthreads/shared.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { set_thread_prefix } from "../logging";
 import { monoMessageSymbol, PThreadPtrNull, WorkerToMainMessageType } from "../types/internal";
 import { threads_c_functions as tcwraps } from "../cwraps";
 import { forceThreadMemoryViewRefresh } from "../memory";
+import { monoSafeSetTimeout } from "../scheduling";
 
 // A duplicate in loader/assets.ts
 export const worker_empty_prefix = "          -    ";
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ export function exec_synchronization_context_pump (): void {
 
 export function mono_wasm_schedule_synchronization_context (): void {
     if (!WasmEnableThreads) return;
-    Module.safeSetTimeout(exec_synchronization_context_pump, 0);
+    monoSafeSetTimeout(exec_synchronization_context_pump, 0);
 }
 
 export function mono_wasm_pthread_ptr (): PThreadPtr {
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/scheduling.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/scheduling.ts
index 0be8cb19a72336..5639707696e69a 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/scheduling.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/scheduling.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ function mono_background_exec_until_done () {
 export function schedule_background_exec (): void {
     if (WasmEnableThreads) return;
     ++pump_count;
-    Module.safeSetTimeout(mono_background_exec_until_done, 0);
+    monoSafeSetTimeout(mono_background_exec_until_done, 0);
 }
 
 let lastScheduledTimeoutId: any = undefined;
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export function mono_wasm_schedule_timer (shortestDueTimeMs: number): void {
         globalThis.clearTimeout(lastScheduledTimeoutId);
         lastScheduledTimeoutId = undefined;
     }
-    lastScheduledTimeoutId = Module.safeSetTimeout(mono_wasm_schedule_timer_tick, shortestDueTimeMs);
+    lastScheduledTimeoutId = monoSafeSetTimeout(mono_wasm_schedule_timer_tick, shortestDueTimeMs);
 }
 
 function mono_wasm_schedule_timer_tick () {
@@ -93,3 +93,21 @@ function mono_wasm_schedule_timer_tick () {
         loaderHelpers.mono_exit(1, ex);
     }
 }
+
+
+export function monoSafeSetTimeout (userCallback: (() => void), timeout: number): number {
+    Module.runtimeKeepalivePush();
+    return setTimeout(() => {
+        try {
+            if (!loaderHelpers.is_runtime_running()) {
+                return;
+            }
+            Module.maybeExit();
+            Module.runtimeKeepalivePop();
+            userCallback();
+            Module.maybeExit();
+        } catch (e) {
+            loaderHelpers.mono_exit(1, e);
+        }
+    }, timeout);
+}
diff --git a/src/mono/mono.proj b/src/mono/mono.proj
index 8b57badb1a2e38..89cd40be9f6111 100644
--- a/src/mono/mono.proj
+++ b/src/mono/mono.proj
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@
     <!-- WASM specific options -->
     <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(TargetsBrowser)' == 'true' or '$(TargetsWasi)' == 'true'">
       <_MonoMinimal Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">,debugger_agent,log_dest</_MonoMinimal>
-      <_MonoMinimal Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release' and '$(MonoEnableAssertMessages)' != 'true'">$(_MonoMinimal),assert_messages</_MonoMinimal>
+      <_MonoMinimal Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">$(_MonoMinimal),assert_messages</_MonoMinimal>
       <_MonoMinimal Condition="'$(WasmEnableThreads)' != 'true'">$(_MonoMinimal),threads</_MonoMinimal>
     </PropertyGroup>
     <ItemGroup Condition="'$(TargetsBrowser)' == 'true' or '$(TargetsWasi)' == 'true'">
diff --git a/src/native/libs/System.Native/pal_time.c b/src/native/libs/System.Native/pal_time.c
index a249fe653be1c0..bd33d7d49a45a8 100644
--- a/src/native/libs/System.Native/pal_time.c
+++ b/src/native/libs/System.Native/pal_time.c
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ int32_t SystemNative_UTimensat(const char* path, TimeSpec* times)
 
     updatedTimes[1].tv_sec = (time_t)times[1].tv_sec;
     updatedTimes[1].tv_nsec = (long)times[1].tv_nsec;
+#if defined(TARGET_BROWSER)
+    while (CheckInterrupted(result = utimensat(AT_FDCWD, path, updatedTimes, 0)));
+#else
     while (CheckInterrupted(result = utimensat(AT_FDCWD, path, updatedTimes, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW)));
+#endif
 #else
     struct timeval updatedTimes[2];
     updatedTimes[0].tv_sec = (long)times[0].tv_sec;