diff --git a/target-arm/cpu.c b/target-arm/cpu.c
index cc6c6f3d4ceedc061d333e3d376ad9a0869d0c2c..4ba5929018926902ae5de732fd5c27efc11f1d10 100644
--- a/target-arm/cpu.c
+++ b/target-arm/cpu.c
@@ -331,10 +331,7 @@ static void arm_cpu_set_irq(void *opaque, int irq, int level)
     switch (irq) {
     case ARM_CPU_VIRQ:
     case ARM_CPU_VFIQ:
-        if (!arm_feature(env, ARM_FEATURE_EL2)) {
-            hw_error("%s: Virtual interrupt line %d with no EL2 support\n",
-                     __func__, irq);
-        }
+        assert(arm_feature(env, ARM_FEATURE_EL2));
         /* fall through */
     case ARM_CPU_IRQ:
     case ARM_CPU_FIQ: