diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index b41b640464..4abe6606f6 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -1281,7 +1281,6 @@ static unsigned manager_dispatch_stop_when_unneeded_queue(Manager *m) {
 
         while ((u = m->stop_when_unneeded_queue)) {
                 _cleanup_(sd_bus_error_free) sd_bus_error error = SD_BUS_ERROR_NULL;
-                assert(m->stop_when_unneeded_queue);
 
                 assert(u->in_stop_when_unneeded_queue);
                 LIST_REMOVE(stop_when_unneeded_queue, m->stop_when_unneeded_queue, u);