diff --git a/src/daemon/rpmostreed-os.cxx b/src/daemon/rpmostreed-os.cxx
index 89307f7795..882b026a20 100644
--- a/src/daemon/rpmostreed-os.cxx
+++ b/src/daemon/rpmostreed-os.cxx
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ os_authorize_method (GDBusInterfaceSkeleton *interface, GDBusMethodInvocation *i
       = rpmostreed_sysroot_get_polkit_authority (sysroot, &local_error);
   if (!authority)
     {
+      g_assert (local_error);
       g_dbus_method_invocation_return_error (invocation, G_DBUS_ERROR, G_DBUS_ERROR_FAILED,
                                              "Failed to load polkit: %s", local_error->message);
       return FALSE;
diff --git a/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.cxx b/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.cxx
index 8c2548dd2f..86feae5659 100644
--- a/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.cxx
+++ b/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.cxx
@@ -529,6 +529,7 @@ sysroot_authorize_method (GDBusInterfaceSkeleton *interface, GDBusMethodInvocati
           = rpmostreed_sysroot_get_polkit_authority (self, &local_error);
       if (!authority)
         {
+          g_assert (local_error);
           g_dbus_method_invocation_return_error (invocation, G_DBUS_ERROR, G_DBUS_ERROR_FAILED,
                                                  "Failed to load polkit: %s", local_error->message);
           return FALSE;