diff --git a/Python/flowgraph.c b/Python/flowgraph.c
index baba1f75b9cd43..221d61364fd5a4 100644
--- a/Python/flowgraph.c
+++ b/Python/flowgraph.c
@@ -380,7 +380,6 @@ cfg_builder_maybe_start_new_block(cfg_builder *g)
 static bool
 cfg_builder_check(cfg_builder *g)
 {
-    assert(g->g_entryblock->b_iused > 0);
     for (basicblock *block = g->g_block_list; block != NULL; block = block->b_list) {
         assert(!_PyMem_IsPtrFreed(block));
         if (block->b_instr != NULL) {
@@ -2486,6 +2485,7 @@ _PyCfg_OptimizeCodeUnit(cfg_builder *g, PyObject *consts, PyObject *const_cache,
                         int nlocals, int nparams, int firstlineno)
 {
     assert(cfg_builder_check(g));
+    assert(g->g_entryblock->b_iused > 0);
     /** Preprocessing **/
     /* Map labels to targets and mark exception handlers */
     RETURN_IF_ERROR(translate_jump_labels_to_targets(g->g_entryblock));