diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index b569593d6..3130c6838 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 	- Fix assertion failure when unbound generates an empty error reply
 	  in response to a query, CVE-2011-1922 VU#531342.
 	- This fix is in tag 1.4.10.
+	- defense in depth against the above bug, an error is printed to log
+	  instead of an assertion failure.
 
 10 May 2011: Wouter
 	- bug#386: --enable-allsymbols option links all binaries to libunbound
diff --git a/util/netevent.c b/util/netevent.c
index e25f5ddae..9ee752178 100644
--- a/util/netevent.c
+++ b/util/netevent.c
@@ -400,7 +400,10 @@ comm_point_send_udp_msg_if(struct comm_point *c, ldns_buffer* packet,
 #endif /* S_SPLINT_S */
 
 	log_assert(c->fd != -1);
-	log_assert(ldns_buffer_remaining(packet) > 0);
+#ifdef UNBOUND_DEBUG
+	if(ldns_buffer_remaining(packet) == 0)
+		log_err("error: send empty UDP packet");
+#endif
 	log_assert(addr && addrlen > 0);
 
 	msg.msg_name = addr;