diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/searchable-snapshots/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/searchablesnapshots/cache/CacheService.java b/x-pack/plugin/searchable-snapshots/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/searchablesnapshots/cache/CacheService.java
index 3ac2c4ada4e0e..2d561c5847095 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/searchable-snapshots/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/searchablesnapshots/cache/CacheService.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/searchable-snapshots/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/searchablesnapshots/cache/CacheService.java
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ private void runIfShardMarkedAsEvictedInCache(ShardEviction shardEviction, Runna
                 }
                 success = true;
             } finally {
-                assert success : "shard eviction should be successful: " + shardEviction;
                 if (success == false) {
                     final boolean added = evictedShards.add(shardEviction);
                     assert added : shardEviction;