diff --git a/lib/internal/http2/compat.js b/lib/internal/http2/compat.js
index 4622d97614a1bb..145e77410494b6 100644
--- a/lib/internal/http2/compat.js
+++ b/lib/internal/http2/compat.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const assert = require('assert');
 const Stream = require('stream');
 const Readable = Stream.Readable;
 const binding = internalBinding('http2');
@@ -331,15 +332,12 @@ class Http2ServerRequest extends Readable {
 
   _read(nread) {
     const state = this[kState];
-    if (!state.closed) {
-      if (!state.didRead) {
-        state.didRead = true;
-        this[kStream].on('data', onStreamData);
-      } else {
-        process.nextTick(resumeStream, this[kStream]);
-      }
+    assert(!state.closed);
+    if (!state.didRead) {
+      state.didRead = true;
+      this[kStream].on('data', onStreamData);
     } else {
-      this.emit('error', new ERR_HTTP2_INVALID_STREAM());
+      process.nextTick(resumeStream, this[kStream]);
     }
   }