diff --git a/module/zfs/arc.c b/module/zfs/arc.c
index 720365c4a935..f125ca6a4d14 100644
--- a/module/zfs/arc.c
+++ b/module/zfs/arc.c
@@ -1872,7 +1872,8 @@ arc_buf_try_copy_decompressed_data(arc_buf_t *buf)
 	 * There were no decompressed bufs, so there should not be a
 	 * checksum on the hdr either.
 	 */
-	EQUIV(!copied, hdr->b_l1hdr.b_freeze_cksum == NULL);
+	if (zfs_flags & ZFS_DEBUG_MODIFY)
+		EQUIV(!copied, hdr->b_l1hdr.b_freeze_cksum == NULL);
 
 	return (copied);
 }
@@ -2253,7 +2254,6 @@ arc_buf_fill(arc_buf_t *buf, spa_t *spa, const zbookmark_phys_t *zb,
 		 */
 		if (arc_buf_try_copy_decompressed_data(buf)) {
 			/* Skip byteswapping and checksumming (already done) */
-			ASSERT3P(hdr->b_l1hdr.b_freeze_cksum, !=, NULL);
 			return (0);
 		} else {
 			error = zio_decompress_data(HDR_GET_COMPRESS(hdr),