diff --git a/src/core.c b/src/core.c
index 99bd8ca4..f0db843b 100644
--- a/src/core.c
+++ b/src/core.c
@@ -3101,11 +3101,12 @@ RADIXSORT_IMPL(pgno, pgno_t, MDBX_PNL_EXTRACT_KEY,
                MDBX_PNL_PREALLOC_FOR_RADIXSORT, 0)
 
 SORT_IMPL(pgno_sort, false, pgno_t, MDBX_PNL_ORDERED)
-static __hot void mdbx_pnl_sort(MDBX_PNL pnl) {
+static __hot void mdbx_pnl_sort(MDBX_PNL pnl, size_t limit4check) {
   if (likely(MDBX_PNL_SIZE(pnl) < MDBX_RADIXSORT_THRESHOLD) ||
       unlikely(!pgno_radixsort(&MDBX_PNL_FIRST(pnl), MDBX_PNL_SIZE(pnl))))
     pgno_sort(MDBX_PNL_BEGIN(pnl), MDBX_PNL_END(pnl));
-  assert(mdbx_pnl_check(pnl, MAX_PAGENO + 1));
+  assert(mdbx_pnl_check(pnl, limit4check));
+  (void)limit4check;
 }
 
 /* Search for an pgno in an PNL.
@@ -4402,7 +4403,7 @@ static void mdbx_refund_loose(MDBX_txn *txn) {
     if (most + 1 == txn->mt_next_pgno) {
       /* Sort suitable list and refund pages at the tail. */
       MDBX_PNL_SIZE(suitable) = w;
-      mdbx_pnl_sort(suitable);
+      mdbx_pnl_sort(suitable, MAX_PAGENO + 1);
 
       /* Scanning in descend order */
       const int step = MDBX_PNL_ASCENDING ? -1 : 1;
@@ -5401,7 +5402,7 @@ static int mdbx_txn_spill(MDBX_txn *const txn, MDBX_cursor *const m0,
     if (unlikely(rc != MDBX_SUCCESS))
       goto bailout;
 
-    mdbx_pnl_sort(txn->tw.spill_pages);
+    mdbx_pnl_sort(txn->tw.spill_pages, (size_t)txn->mt_next_pgno << 1);
     txn->mt_flags |= MDBX_TXN_SPILLS;
     mdbx_notice("spilled %u dirty-entries, now have %u dirty-room", spilled,
                 txn->tw.dirtyroom);
@@ -8963,7 +8964,7 @@ retry:
         }
         mdbx_tassert(txn, count == txn->tw.loose_count);
         MDBX_PNL_SIZE(loose) = count;
-        mdbx_pnl_sort(loose);
+        mdbx_pnl_sort(loose, txn->mt_next_pgno);
         mdbx_pnl_xmerge(txn->tw.reclaimed_pglist, loose);
         mdbx_trace("%s: append %u loose-pages to reclaimed-pages",
                    dbg_prefix_mode, txn->tw.loose_count);
@@ -9027,7 +9028,7 @@ retry:
       } while (data.iov_len < MDBX_PNL_SIZEOF(txn->tw.retired_pages));
 
       retired_stored = (unsigned)MDBX_PNL_SIZE(txn->tw.retired_pages);
-      mdbx_pnl_sort(txn->tw.retired_pages);
+      mdbx_pnl_sort(txn->tw.retired_pages, txn->mt_next_pgno);
       mdbx_assert(env, data.iov_len == MDBX_PNL_SIZEOF(txn->tw.retired_pages));
       memcpy(data.iov_base, txn->tw.retired_pages, data.iov_len);