diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/resync/ResyncReplicationRequest.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/resync/ResyncReplicationRequest.java
index 99a0f736051..07dcdf7db11 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/resync/ResyncReplicationRequest.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/resync/ResyncReplicationRequest.java
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ public final class ResyncReplicationRequest extends ReplicatedWriteRequest<Resyn
 
     @Override
     public void readFrom(final StreamInput in) throws IOException {
+        assert Version.CURRENT.major <= 7;
         if (in.getVersion().equals(Version.V_6_0_0)) {
             /*
              * Resync replication request serialization was broken in 6.0.0 due to the elements of the stream not being prefixed with a
              * byte indicating the type of the operation.
              */
             // TODO: remove this check in 8.0.0 which provides no BWC guarantees with 6.x.
-            assert Version.CURRENT.major <= 7;
             throw new IllegalStateException("resync replication request serialization is broken in 6.0.0");
         }
         super.readFrom(in);