diff --git a/src/networking.c b/src/networking.c
index 1478948e52..6226411a12 100644
--- a/src/networking.c
+++ b/src/networking.c
@@ -4440,6 +4440,7 @@ int checkClientOutputBufferLimits(client *c) {
  * Returns 1 if client was (flagged) closed. */
 int closeClientOnOutputBufferLimitReached(client *c, int async) {
     if (c->flag.fake) return 0; /* It is unsafe to free fake clients. */
+    serverAssert(c->conn);
     serverAssert(c->reply_bytes < SIZE_MAX - (1024 * 64));
     /* Note that c->reply_bytes is irrelevant for replica clients
      * (they use the global repl buffers). */
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index a024380bcf..42418ea657 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -897,6 +897,7 @@ int clientEvictionAllowed(client *c) {
     if (server.maxmemory_clients == 0 || c->flag.no_evict || c->flag.fake) {
         return 0;
     }
+    serverAssert(c->conn);
     int type = getClientType(c);
     return (type == CLIENT_TYPE_NORMAL || type == CLIENT_TYPE_PUBSUB);
 }