diff --git a/mdb.c b/mdb.c
index 1503d41a..78a052a3 100644
--- a/mdb.c
+++ b/mdb.c
@@ -5410,7 +5410,11 @@ mdb_page_search_root(MDB_cursor *mc, MDB_val *key, int flags)
 		indx_t		i;
 
 		mdb_debug("branch page %zu has %u keys", mp->mp_pgno, NUMKEYS(mp));
-		mdb_cassert(mc, NUMKEYS(mp) > 1);
+		/* Don't assert on branch pages in the FreeDB. We can get here
+		 * while in the process of rebalancing a FreeDB branch page; we must
+		 * let that proceed. ITS#8336
+		 */
+		mdb_cassert(mc, !mc->mc_dbi || NUMKEYS(mp) > 1);
 		mdb_debug("found index 0 to page %zu", NODEPGNO(NODEPTR(mp, 0)));
 
 		if (flags & (MDB_PS_FIRST|MDB_PS_LAST)) {