diff --git a/kernel/posix-timers.c b/kernel/posix-timers.c
index dbd8398ddb0b41fa1f391849b82199078e72de70..17f53266fb67680af591cb0b776534ed16c23105 100644
--- a/kernel/posix-timers.c
+++ b/kernel/posix-timers.c
@@ -856,11 +856,10 @@ sys_timer_delete(timer_t timer_id)
 	 * This keeps any tasks waiting on the spin lock from thinking
 	 * they got something (see the lock code above).
 	 */
-	if (timer->it_process) {
-		if (timer->it_sigev_notify == (SIGEV_SIGNAL|SIGEV_THREAD_ID))
-			put_task_struct(timer->it_process);
-		timer->it_process = NULL;
-	}
+	if (timer->it_sigev_notify == (SIGEV_SIGNAL|SIGEV_THREAD_ID))
+		put_task_struct(timer->it_process);
+	timer->it_process = NULL;
+
 	unlock_timer(timer, flags);
 	release_posix_timer(timer, IT_ID_SET);
 	return 0;
@@ -885,11 +884,10 @@ static void itimer_delete(struct k_itimer *timer)
 	 * This keeps any tasks waiting on the spin lock from thinking
 	 * they got something (see the lock code above).
 	 */
-	if (timer->it_process) {
-		if (timer->it_sigev_notify == (SIGEV_SIGNAL|SIGEV_THREAD_ID))
-			put_task_struct(timer->it_process);
-		timer->it_process = NULL;
-	}
+	if (timer->it_sigev_notify == (SIGEV_SIGNAL|SIGEV_THREAD_ID))
+		put_task_struct(timer->it_process);
+	timer->it_process = NULL;
+
 	unlock_timer(timer, flags);
 	release_posix_timer(timer, IT_ID_SET);
 }