diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/AbstractNioWorker.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/AbstractNioWorker.java
index 14ffdc6d99..a5a109d9c1 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/AbstractNioWorker.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/nio/AbstractNioWorker.java
@@ -273,7 +273,9 @@ abstract class AbstractNioWorker implements Worker {
     
     @Override
     public void executeInIoThread(Runnable eventRunnable) {
-       assert eventQueue.offer(eventRunnable);
+       boolean added = eventQueue.offer(eventRunnable);
+      
+       assert added;
        
        // wake up the selector to speed things
        selector.wakeup();
diff --git a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/AbstractOioWorker.java b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/AbstractOioWorker.java
index ea773bc442..fb1b403894 100644
--- a/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/AbstractOioWorker.java
+++ b/transport/src/main/java/io/netty/channel/socket/oio/AbstractOioWorker.java
@@ -90,8 +90,9 @@ abstract class AbstractOioWorker<C extends AbstractOioChannel> implements Worker
     
     @Override
     public void executeInIoThread(Runnable eventRunnable) {
-        assert eventQueue.offer(eventRunnable);
+        boolean added = eventQueue.offer(eventRunnable);
         
+        assert added;
         // as we set the SO_TIMEOUT to 1 second this task will get picked up in 1 second at latest
     }