diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogDeletionPolicy.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogDeletionPolicy.java
index 6ac7313a1c51b..2700cba0abc3c 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogDeletionPolicy.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogDeletionPolicy.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public final class TranslogDeletionPolicy {
     private final Map<Object, RuntimeException> openTranslogRef;
 
     public void assertNoOpenTranslogRefs() {
-        if (openTranslogRef.isEmpty() == false) {
+        if (Assertions.ENABLED && openTranslogRef.isEmpty() == false) {
             AssertionError e = new AssertionError("not all translog generations have been released");
             openTranslogRef.values().forEach(e::addSuppressed);
             throw e;