diff --git a/src/workload/methods/codes-darshan3-io-wrkld.c b/src/workload/methods/codes-darshan3-io-wrkld.c
index d168f474b6528a105acf96a9f307c430ddf3e865..9e0d60d6fa59f4650c9ce790edb23aeef85f98ed 100644
--- a/src/workload/methods/codes-darshan3-io-wrkld.c
+++ b/src/workload/methods/codes-darshan3-io-wrkld.c
@@ -761,7 +761,6 @@ static void generate_psx_file_events(
 
     assert(first_io_delay >= 0);
     assert(close_delay >= 0);
-    assert(meta_op_time >= 0);
     assert(inter_io_delay >= 0);
 
     /* calculate average meta op time, divide among open and close for now */