diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
index a847ac7d18..554a5eaa60 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
@@ -3436,7 +3436,9 @@ progress_pending_frags_wqe(mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *ep, const int qpn)
             frag = opal_list_remove_first(&ep->qps[qpn].no_wqe_pending_frags[i]);
             if(NULL == frag)
                 break;
+#if OPAL_ENABLE_DEBUG
             assert(0 == frag->opal_list_item_refcount);
+#endif
             tmp_ep = to_com_frag(frag)->endpoint;
             ret = mca_btl_openib_endpoint_post_send(tmp_ep, to_send_frag(frag));
             if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {