diff --git a/vp9/decoder/vp9_decodemv.c b/vp9/decoder/vp9_decodemv.c
index 8dfb22c14d132685ef0a0e0380d3b348f63a3d09..7f23dc190e9ddcf2375c3efc031ccad70509c4c4 100644
--- a/vp9/decoder/vp9_decodemv.c
+++ b/vp9/decoder/vp9_decodemv.c
@@ -460,6 +460,7 @@ static void read_inter_block_mode_info(VP9D_COMP *pbi, MODE_INFO *mi,
 
   if (vp9_segfeature_active(&cm->seg, mbmi->segment_id, SEG_LVL_SKIP)) {
     mbmi->mode = ZEROMV;
+    assert(bsize >= BLOCK_8X8);
   } else {
     if (bsize >= BLOCK_8X8)
       mbmi->mode = read_inter_mode(cm, r, inter_mode_ctx);