diff --git a/src/gc-get.c b/src/gc-get.c
index bb1c9680..dcbd30ce 100644
--- a/src/gc-get.c
+++ b/src/gc-get.c
@@ -872,10 +872,8 @@ pgr_t gc_alloc_ex(const MDBX_cursor *const mc, const size_t num, uint8_t flags)
 
   //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-  if (unlikely(!is_gc_usable(txn, mc, flags))) {
-    eASSERT(env, (txn->flags & txn_gc_drained) || num > 1);
+  if (unlikely(!is_gc_usable(txn, mc, flags)))
     goto no_gc;
-  }
 
   eASSERT(env, (flags & (ALLOC_COALESCE | ALLOC_LIFO | ALLOC_SHOULD_SCAN)) == 0);
   flags += (env->flags & MDBX_LIFORECLAIM) ? ALLOC_LIFO : 0;
diff --git a/src/lck-posix.c b/src/lck-posix.c
index 949dd905..6e1919fc 100644
--- a/src/lck-posix.c
+++ b/src/lck-posix.c
@@ -824,7 +824,6 @@ MDBX_INTERNAL void lck_rdt_unlock(MDBX_env *env) {
 
 int lck_txn_lock(MDBX_env *env, bool dont_wait) {
   TRACE("%swait %s", dont_wait ? "dont-" : "", ">>");
-  eASSERT(env, env->basal_txn || (env->lck == lckless_stub(env) && (env->flags & MDBX_RDONLY)));
   jitter4testing(true);
   const int err = osal_ipclock_lock(env, &env->lck->wrt_lock, dont_wait);
   int rc = err;
@@ -842,10 +841,8 @@ int lck_txn_lock(MDBX_env *env, bool dont_wait) {
 void lck_txn_unlock(MDBX_env *env) {
   TRACE("%s", ">>");
   if (env->basal_txn) {
-    eASSERT(env, !env->basal_txn || env->basal_txn->owner == osal_thread_self());
+    eASSERT(env, env->basal_txn->owner == osal_thread_self());
     env->basal_txn->owner = 0;
-  } else {
-    eASSERT(env, env->lck == lckless_stub(env) && (env->flags & MDBX_RDONLY));
   }
   int err = osal_ipclock_unlock(env, &env->lck->wrt_lock);
   TRACE("<< err %d", err);
diff --git a/src/lck-windows.c b/src/lck-windows.c
index 296679d1..c5f36e97 100644
--- a/src/lck-windows.c
+++ b/src/lck-windows.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ int lck_txn_lock(MDBX_env *env, bool dontwait) {
     }
   }
 
-  eASSERT(env, !env->basal_txn->owner);
+  eASSERT(env, !env->basal_txn || !env->basal_txn->owner);
   if (env->flags & MDBX_EXCLUSIVE)
     goto done;
 
@@ -104,10 +104,11 @@ int lck_txn_lock(MDBX_env *env, bool dontwait) {
   }
   if (rc == MDBX_SUCCESS) {
   done:
+    if (env->basal_txn)
+      env->basal_txn->owner = osal_thread_self();
     /* Zap: Failing to release lock 'env->windowsbug_lock'
      *      in function 'mdbx_txn_lock' */
     MDBX_SUPPRESS_GOOFY_MSVC_ANALYZER(26115);
-    env->basal_txn->owner = osal_thread_self();
     return MDBX_SUCCESS;
   }
 
@@ -116,14 +117,15 @@ int lck_txn_lock(MDBX_env *env, bool dontwait) {
 }
 
 void lck_txn_unlock(MDBX_env *env) {
-  eASSERT(env, env->basal_txn->owner == osal_thread_self());
+  eASSERT(env, !env->basal_txn || env->basal_txn->owner == osal_thread_self());
   if ((env->flags & MDBX_EXCLUSIVE) == 0) {
     const HANDLE fd4data = env->ioring.overlapped_fd ? env->ioring.overlapped_fd : env->lazy_fd;
     int err = funlock(fd4data, DXB_BODY);
     if (err != MDBX_SUCCESS)
       mdbx_panic("%s failed: err %u", __func__, err);
   }
-  env->basal_txn->owner = 0;
+  if (env->basal_txn)
+    env->basal_txn->owner = 0;
   LeaveCriticalSection(&env->windowsbug_lock);
 }