diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/radeon_bitstream.c b/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/radeon_bitstream.c
index 9472830e9d5..56796454715 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/radeon_bitstream.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/radeon_bitstream.c
@@ -156,6 +156,8 @@ void radeon_bs_code_ns(struct radeon_bitstream *bs, uint32_t value, uint32_t max
    uint32_t m;
    uint32_t max_num = max;
 
+   assert(value < max);
+
    while ( max_num ) {
       max_num >>= 1;
       w++;
@@ -163,8 +165,6 @@ void radeon_bs_code_ns(struct radeon_bitstream *bs, uint32_t value, uint32_t max
 
    m = (1 << w) - max;
 
-   assert(w > 1);
-
    if (value < m) {
       radeon_bs_code_fixed_bits(bs, value, (w - 1));
    } else {