diff --git a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_atom_shader.c b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_atom_shader.c
index 6e311e537ef..9208f3f446f 100644
--- a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_atom_shader.c
+++ b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_atom_shader.c
@@ -287,8 +287,6 @@ find_translated_vp(struct st_context *st,
 #endif
       }
 
-      assert(stvp->Base.Base.NumInstructions > 1);
-
       st_translate_vertex_program(st, stvp, xvp->output_to_slot,
                                   xvp->output_to_semantic_name,
                                   xvp->output_to_semantic_index);
diff --git a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c
index 190b6a5526d..cf19f8f1a8e 100644
--- a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c
+++ b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ st_translate_vertex_program(struct st_context *st,
    if (stvp->Base.IsPositionInvariant)
       _mesa_insert_mvp_code(st->ctx, &stvp->Base);
 
+   assert(stvp->Base.Base.NumInstructions > 1);
+
    /*
     * Determine number of inputs, the mappings between VERT_ATTRIB_x
     * and TGSI generic input indexes, plus input attrib semantic info.