diff --git a/kernel/rtlil.cc b/kernel/rtlil.cc
index 42d5f56b6..eef1c319d 100644
--- a/kernel/rtlil.cc
+++ b/kernel/rtlil.cc
@@ -2990,6 +2990,8 @@ void RTLIL::Module::add(RTLIL::Binding *binding)
 void RTLIL::Module::remove(const pool<RTLIL::Wire*> &wires)
 {
 	log_assert(refcount_wires_ == 0);
+	if (wires.empty())
+		return;
 
 	struct DeleteWireWorker
 	{