diff --git a/include/ircd/m/get.h b/include/ircd/m/get.h
index a44db41ba..db23c8784 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/get.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/get.h
@@ -71,6 +71,6 @@ ircd::m::get(const event::idx &event_idx,
 		get(std::nothrow, event_idx, key, buf)
 	};
 
-	assert(size(rbuf) >= sizeof(T));
+	assert(empty(rbuf) || size(rbuf) >= sizeof(T));
 	return !empty(rbuf);
 }