diff --git a/db/column_family.cc b/db/column_family.cc
index 6bb1c6bf4..54ddf4cb4 100644
--- a/db/column_family.cc
+++ b/db/column_family.cc
@@ -779,7 +779,6 @@ uint64_t ColumnFamilyData::GetTotalSstFilesSize() const {
 
 MemTable* ColumnFamilyData::ConstructNewMemtable(
     const MutableCFOptions& mutable_cf_options, SequenceNumber earliest_seq) {
-  assert(current_ != nullptr);
   return new MemTable(internal_comparator_, ioptions_, mutable_cf_options,
                       write_buffer_manager_, earliest_seq);
 }