diff --git a/util/aio-posix.c b/util/aio-posix.c
index 8640dfde9f02cb3305509b11514fad88b3d7e3aa..6fbfa7924f22f6195b1e5c167d463d0db15478e7 100644
--- a/util/aio-posix.c
+++ b/util/aio-posix.c
@@ -613,6 +613,8 @@ bool aio_poll(AioContext *ctx, bool blocking)
     int64_t timeout;
     int64_t start = 0;
 
+    assert(in_aio_context_home_thread(ctx));
+
     /* aio_notify can avoid the expensive event_notifier_set if
      * everything (file descriptors, bottom halves, timers) will
      * be re-evaluated before the next blocking poll().  This is
@@ -621,7 +623,6 @@ bool aio_poll(AioContext *ctx, bool blocking)
      * so disable the optimization now.
      */
     if (blocking) {
-        assert(in_aio_context_home_thread(ctx));
         atomic_add(&ctx->notify_me, 2);
     }