diff --git a/src/Screen.cc b/src/Screen.cc
index fc6979d8..46b15b22 100644
--- a/src/Screen.cc
+++ b/src/Screen.cc
@@ -2077,6 +2077,7 @@ const Rect& BScreen::availableArea(void) const {
 #ifdef    XINERAMA
 RectList BScreen::allAvailableAreas(void) const {
   assert(isXineramaActive());
+  assert(xineramaUsableArea.size() > 0);
   return xineramaUsableArea;
 }
 #endif // XINERAMA
diff --git a/src/Workspace.cc b/src/Workspace.cc
index 8a62d1b0..90ca6ef3 100644
--- a/src/Workspace.cc
+++ b/src/Workspace.cc
@@ -592,7 +592,6 @@ bool Workspace::smartPlacement(Rect& win) {
   if (screen->isXineramaActive() &&
       screen->getBlackbox()->doXineramaPlacement()) {
     RectList availableAreas = screen->allAvailableAreas();
-    assert(availableAreas.size() > 0);
     RectList::iterator it, end = availableAreas.end();
 
     for (it = availableAreas.begin(); it != end; ++it)
@@ -686,7 +685,6 @@ bool Workspace::underMousePlacement(Rect &win) {
   if (screen->isXineramaActive() &&
       screen->getBlackbox()->doXineramaPlacement()) {
     RectList availableAreas = screen->allAvailableAreas();
-    assert(availableAreas.size() > 0);
     RectList::iterator it, end = availableAreas.end();
 
     for (it = availableAreas.begin(); it != end; ++it)