diff --git a/drivers/scsi/libata-core.c b/drivers/scsi/libata-core.c
index 7ddd5a69352a847f4d957e65a06dd95830baa199..bbac87a13d57805b651a40f171f033aad4f5958b 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/libata-core.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/libata-core.c
@@ -2570,7 +2570,7 @@ static void ata_fill_sg(struct ata_queued_cmd *qc)
 	unsigned int idx;
 
 	assert(qc->__sg != NULL);
-	assert(qc->n_elem > 0);
+	assert(qc->n_elem > 0 || qc->pad_len > 0);
 
 	idx = 0;
 	ata_for_each_sg(sg, qc) {
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/sata_qstor.c b/drivers/scsi/sata_qstor.c
index de05e2883f9c4273c64948e1c7e4bee67e420086..80480f0fb2b82abf2ebdcbe156abd994d9b9ff27 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/sata_qstor.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/sata_qstor.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ static unsigned int qs_fill_sg(struct ata_queued_cmd *qc)
 	u8 *prd = pp->pkt + QS_CPB_BYTES;
 
 	assert(qc->__sg != NULL);
-	assert(qc->n_elem > 0);
+	assert(qc->n_elem > 0 || qc->pad_len > 0);
 
 	nelem = 0;
 	ata_for_each_sg(sg, qc) {