diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_subr.c b/sys/geom/geom_subr.c
index cf8671d34f4d..aea06f68ade8 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_subr.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_subr.c
@@ -601,11 +601,9 @@ g_access(struct g_consumer *cp, int dcr, int dcw, int dce)
 	 * are probably just ahead of the event telling us that.  Fail
 	 * now rather than having to unravel this later.
 	 */
-	if (cp->geom->spoiled != NULL && cp->spoiled) {
-		KASSERT(dcr <= 0, ("spoiled but dcr = %d", dcr));
-		KASSERT(dcw <= 0, ("spoiled but dcw = %d", dcw));
-		KASSERT(dce <= 0, ("spoiled but dce = %d", dce));
-	}
+	if (cp->geom->spoiled != NULL && cp->spoiled &&
+	    (dcr > 0 || dcw > 0 || dce > 0))
+		return (ENXIO);
 
 	/*
 	 * Figure out what counts the provider would have had, if this