diff --git a/gas/ChangeLog b/gas/ChangeLog
index 972e227c62..a930a84242 100644
--- a/gas/ChangeLog
+++ b/gas/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2019-01-25  Alan Modra  <amodra@gmail.com>
+
+	PR 20902
+	PR 24125
+	* read.c (stringer): Delete assertion.
+
 2019-01-21  Nick Clifton  <nickc@redhat.com>
 
 	* po/uk.po: Updated Ukranian translation.
diff --git a/gas/read.c b/gas/read.c
index 3c84d4388c..228fe7a240 100644
--- a/gas/read.c
+++ b/gas/read.c
@@ -5364,8 +5364,6 @@ stringer (int bits_appendzero)
 	  if (append_zero)
 	    stringer_append_char (0, bitsize);
 
-	  know (input_line_pointer[-1] == '\"');
-
 #if !defined(NO_LISTING) && defined (OBJ_ELF)
 	  /* In ELF, when gcc is emitting DWARF 1 debugging output, it
 	     will emit .string with a filename in the .debug section