diff --git a/tools/stress/src/org/apache/cassandra/stress/util/DynamicList.java b/tools/stress/src/org/apache/cassandra/stress/util/DynamicList.java
index e9d43a36e7..e2bdd4e432 100644
--- a/tools/stress/src/org/apache/cassandra/stress/util/DynamicList.java
+++ b/tools/stress/src/org/apache/cassandra/stress/util/DynamicList.java
@@ -153,10 +153,10 @@ public class DynamicList<E>
     public void remove(Node<E> node)
     {
         lock.writeLock().lock();
-        assert node.value != null;
         node.value = null;
         try
         {
+            assert node.value != null;
             size--;
 
             // go up through each level in the skip list, unlinking this node; this entails