diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/GlobalCheckpointListeners.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/GlobalCheckpointListeners.java
index bedd1654449..eb9e36eeec0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/GlobalCheckpointListeners.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/GlobalCheckpointListeners.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package org.elasticsearch.index.shard;
 
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.message.ParameterizedMessage;
+import org.elasticsearch.Assertions;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.Tuple;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.FutureUtils;
@@ -150,6 +151,9 @@ public class GlobalCheckpointListeners implements Closeable {
 
     @Override
     public synchronized void close() throws IOException {
+        if (closed) {
+            assert listeners.isEmpty() : listeners;
+        }
         closed = true;
         notifyListeners(UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO, new IndexShardClosedException(shardId));
     }
@@ -188,8 +192,8 @@ public class GlobalCheckpointListeners implements Closeable {
     }
 
     private void notifyListeners(final long globalCheckpoint, final IndexShardClosedException e) {
-        assert Thread.holdsLock(this);
-        assert (globalCheckpoint == UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO && e != null) || (globalCheckpoint >= NO_OPS_PERFORMED && e == null);
+        assert Thread.holdsLock(this) : Thread.currentThread();
+        assertNotification(globalCheckpoint, e);
 
         final Map<GlobalCheckpointListener, Tuple<Long, ScheduledFuture<?>>> listenersToNotify;
         if (globalCheckpoint != UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO) {
@@ -219,6 +223,8 @@ public class GlobalCheckpointListeners implements Closeable {
     }
 
     private void notifyListener(final GlobalCheckpointListener listener, final long globalCheckpoint, final Exception e) {
+        assertNotification(globalCheckpoint, e);
+
         try {
             listener.accept(globalCheckpoint, e);
         } catch (final Exception caught) {
@@ -231,10 +237,21 @@ public class GlobalCheckpointListeners implements Closeable {
             } else if (e instanceof IndexShardClosedException) {
                 logger.warn("error notifying global checkpoint listener of closed shard", caught);
             } else {
-                assert e instanceof TimeoutException : e;
                 logger.warn("error notifying global checkpoint listener of timeout", caught);
             }
         }
     }
 
+    private void assertNotification(final long globalCheckpoint, final Exception e) {
+        if (Assertions.ENABLED) {
+            assert globalCheckpoint >= UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO : globalCheckpoint;
+            if (globalCheckpoint != UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO) {
+                assert e == null : e;
+            } else {
+                assert e != null;
+                assert e instanceof IndexShardClosedException || e instanceof TimeoutException : e;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
 }