diff --git a/gdb/ChangeLog b/gdb/ChangeLog
index 2d18e3e4399..49501dfd4f2 100644
--- a/gdb/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2020-01-10  Pedro Alves  <palves@redhat.com>
+
+	* tracefile-tfile.c (tfile_target::close): Assert that trace_fd is
+	not -1.
+
 2020-01-10  Pedro Alves  <palves@redhat.com>
 
 	* break-catch-sig.c (signal_catchpoint_print_it): Don't pass a
diff --git a/gdb/tracefile-tfile.c b/gdb/tracefile-tfile.c
index 1ceb03e6918..977c0dab06b 100644
--- a/gdb/tracefile-tfile.c
+++ b/gdb/tracefile-tfile.c
@@ -616,8 +616,7 @@ tfile_interp_line (char *line, struct uploaded_tp **utpp,
 void
 tfile_target::close ()
 {
-  if (trace_fd < 0)
-    return;
+  gdb_assert (trace_fd != -1);
 
   inferior_ptid = null_ptid;	/* Avoid confusion from thread stuff.  */
   exit_inferior_silent (current_inferior ());