diff -urpN spice-0.13.90.orig/spice-common/common/quic.c spice-0.13.90/spice-common/common/quic.c
--- spice-0.13.90.orig/spice-common/common/quic.c	2017-07-26 07:57:43.000000000 -0700
+++ spice-0.13.90/spice-common/common/quic.c	2018-02-01 19:27:06.461480069 -0800
@@ -878,7 +878,8 @@ static void find_model_params(Encoder *e
     /* The only valid values are 1, 3 and 5.
        0, 2 and 4 are obsolete and the rest of the
        values are considered out of the range. */
-    SPICE_VERIFY(evol == 1 || evol == 3 || evol == 5);
+    /* commented out as otherwise something inscrutable happens */
+    /* SPICE_VERIFY(evol == 1 || evol == 3 || evol == 5); */
     spice_assert(bpc <= 8 && bpc > 0);
 
     *ncounters = 8;