diff --git a/Python/pystate.c b/Python/pystate.c
index 7750f4ca8a5..15761e7da90 100644
--- a/Python/pystate.c
+++ b/Python/pystate.c
@@ -581,7 +581,6 @@ PyThreadState_Clear(PyThreadState *tstate)
     Py_CLEAR(tstate->exc_state.exc_traceback);
 
     /* The stack of exception states should contain just this thread. */
-    assert(tstate->exc_info->previous_item == NULL);
     if (Py_VerboseFlag && tstate->exc_info != &tstate->exc_state) {
         fprintf(stderr,
           "PyThreadState_Clear: warning: thread still has a generator\n");