diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 8c3c8abc3..c8c9b7041 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 3 August 2021: Wouter
 	- Merge PR #517 from dyunwei: #420 breaks the mesh reply list
 	  function that need to reuse the dns answer.
+	- Annotate assertion into error printout; we think it may be an
+	  error, but the situation looks harmless.
 
 2 August 2021: Wouter
 	- Prepare for OpenSSL 3.0.0 provider API usage, move the sldns
diff --git a/util/netevent.c b/util/netevent.c
index d2d1481f7..11c642a2b 100644
--- a/util/netevent.c
+++ b/util/netevent.c
@@ -1727,7 +1727,8 @@ comm_point_tcp_handle_read(int fd, struct comm_point* c, int short_ok)
 			(int)sldns_buffer_limit(c->buffer));
 	}
 
-	log_assert(sldns_buffer_remaining(c->buffer) > 0);
+	if(sldns_buffer_remaining(c->buffer) == 0)
+		log_err("in comm_point_tcp_handle_read buffer_remaining is not > 0 as expected, continuing with (harmless) 0 length recv");
 	r = recv(fd, (void*)sldns_buffer_current(c->buffer), 
 		sldns_buffer_remaining(c->buffer), 0);
 	if(r == 0) {