diff --git a/db/db_impl/db_impl_compaction_flush.cc b/db/db_impl/db_impl_compaction_flush.cc
index 2b771e360..515bd7422 100644
--- a/db/db_impl/db_impl_compaction_flush.cc
+++ b/db/db_impl/db_impl_compaction_flush.cc
@@ -2785,9 +2785,11 @@ void DBImpl::BackgroundCallCompaction(PrepickedCompaction* prepicked_compaction,
 
     if (prepicked_compaction != nullptr &&
         prepicked_compaction->task_token != nullptr) {
-      // Releasing task tokens affects the DB state, so must be done before we
-      // potentially signal the DB close process to proceed below.
-      prepicked_compaction->task_token->ReleaseOnce();
+      // Releasing task tokens affects (and asserts on) the DB state, so
+      // must be done before we potentially signal the DB close process to
+      // proceed below.
+      prepicked_compaction->task_token.reset();
+      ;
     }
 
     if (made_progress ||
diff --git a/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.cc b/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.cc
index efa01a17f..2342677d8 100644
--- a/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.cc
+++ b/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.cc
@@ -59,14 +59,9 @@ ConcurrentTaskLimiter* NewConcurrentTaskLimiter(
   return new ConcurrentTaskLimiterImpl(name, limit);
 }
 
-void TaskLimiterToken::ReleaseOnce() {
-  if (!released_) {
-    --limiter_->outstanding_tasks_;
-    released_ = true;
-  }
+TaskLimiterToken::~TaskLimiterToken() {
+  --limiter_->outstanding_tasks_;
   assert(limiter_->outstanding_tasks_ >= 0);
 }
 
-TaskLimiterToken::~TaskLimiterToken() { ReleaseOnce(); }
-
 }  // namespace ROCKSDB_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.h b/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.h
index 0e6cf1466..d8c1e03cb 100644
--- a/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.h
+++ b/util/concurrent_task_limiter_impl.h
@@ -53,16 +53,11 @@ class ConcurrentTaskLimiterImpl : public ConcurrentTaskLimiter {
 class TaskLimiterToken {
  public:
   explicit TaskLimiterToken(ConcurrentTaskLimiterImpl* limiter)
-      : limiter_(limiter), released_(false) {}
+      : limiter_(limiter) {}
   ~TaskLimiterToken();
-  // Releases the token from the `ConcurrentTaskLimiterImpl` if not already
-  // released.
-  // Not thread-safe.
-  void ReleaseOnce();
 
  private:
   ConcurrentTaskLimiterImpl* limiter_;
-  bool released_;
 
   // no copying allowed
   TaskLimiterToken(const TaskLimiterToken&) = delete;