diff --git a/gdb/ChangeLog b/gdb/ChangeLog
index 897fe88aac..481ea2308f 100644
--- a/gdb/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2012-04-07  Doug Evans  <dje@google.com>
+
+	* dwarf2read.c (load_partial_dies): Change condition to assert.
+
 2012-04-06  Doug Evans  <dje@google.com>
 
 	* amd64-tdep.c (amd64_analyze_prologue): Recognize both variations of
diff --git a/gdb/dwarf2read.c b/gdb/dwarf2read.c
index 4b49484c29..9ec3d8ed55 100644
--- a/gdb/dwarf2read.c
+++ b/gdb/dwarf2read.c
@@ -9522,7 +9522,8 @@ load_partial_dies (bfd *abfd, gdb_byte *buffer, gdb_byte *info_ptr,
   parent_die = NULL;
   last_die = NULL;
 
-  if (cu->per_cu && cu->per_cu->load_all_dies)
+  gdb_assert (cu->per_cu != NULL);
+  if (cu->per_cu->load_all_dies)
     load_all = 1;
 
   cu->partial_dies