diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c
index 955d9c67a2..8d3e84d7e9 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ cache_add_entry_lock(
 
 			/* XXX check for writer lock - should also check no readers pending */
 #ifdef LDAP_DEBUG
-			assert(!ldap_pvt_thread_rdwr_active( &e->e_rdwr ));
+			assert(ldap_pvt_thread_rdwr_writers( &e->e_rdwr ) == 1);
 #endif
 
 			/* delete from cache and lru q */
@@ -386,14 +386,14 @@ cache_delete_entry(
 
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE, "====> cache_delete_entry:\n", 0, 0, 0 );
 
-	/* XXX check for writer lock - should also check no readers pending */
-#ifdef LDAP_DEBUG
-	assert(ldap_pvt_thread_rdwr_writers(&e->e_rdwr));
-#endif
-
 	/* set cache mutex */
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &cache->c_mutex );
 
+	/* XXX check for writer lock - should also check no readers pending */
+#ifdef LDAP_DEBUG
+	assert(ldap_pvt_thread_rdwr_writers( &e->e_rdwr ) == 1);
+#endif
+
 	rc = cache_delete_entry_internal( cache, e );
 
 	/* free cache mutex */