diff --git a/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc b/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc
index 2de01763d..2eab33485 100644
--- a/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc
+++ b/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc
@@ -73,10 +73,9 @@ class PoolFileEntry {
 
     void remove(const PooledFile* file) {
         auto s = statuses_.find(file);
-        ASSERT(s != statuses_.end());
-
-        statuses_.erase(s);
-
+        if (s != statuses_.end()) {
+            statuses_.erase(s);
+        }
         if (statuses_.size() == 0) {
             doClose();
             pool_.erase(name_);
@@ -114,10 +113,10 @@ class PoolFileEntry {
 
     void close(const PooledFile* file) {
         auto s = statuses_.find(file);
-        ASSERT(s != statuses_.end());
-
-        ASSERT(s->second.opened_);
-        s->second.opened_ = false;
+        if (s != statuses_.end()) {
+            ASSERT(s->second.opened_);
+            s->second.opened_ = false;
+        }
     }
 
     int fileno(const PooledFile* file) const {