diff --git a/src/boot/efi/util.c b/src/boot/efi/util.c
index 4fac6d3eee..177c1b3d9a 100644
--- a/src/boot/efi/util.c
+++ b/src/boot/efi/util.c
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ EFI_STATUS file_read(EFI_FILE *dir, const CHAR16 *name, UINTN off, UINTN size, C
         _cleanup_freepool_ CHAR8 *buf = NULL;
         EFI_STATUS err;
 
+        assert(dir);
         assert(name);
         assert(ret);