diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
index fecddb932f..acceea7770 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
@@ -2740,7 +2740,9 @@ static int bump_entry_array(
 
         if (direction == DIRECTION_DOWN) {
                 assert(o);
-                assert(o->object.type == OBJECT_ENTRY_ARRAY);
+
+                if (o->object.type != OBJECT_ENTRY_ARRAY)
+                        return -EBADMSG;
 
                 *ret = le64toh(o->entry_array.next_entry_array_offset);
         } else {
@@ -3241,9 +3243,11 @@ static int generic_array_bisect_for_data(
 
         assert(f);
         assert(d);
-        assert(d->object.type == OBJECT_DATA);
         assert(test_object);
 
+        if (d->object.type != OBJECT_DATA)
+                return -EBADMSG;
+
         n = le64toh(d->data.n_entries);
         if (n <= 0)
                 return 0;
@@ -3609,9 +3613,11 @@ int journal_file_move_to_entry_for_data(
 
         assert(f);
         assert(d);
-        assert(d->object.type == OBJECT_DATA);
         assert(IN_SET(direction, DIRECTION_DOWN, DIRECTION_UP));
 
+        if (d->object.type != OBJECT_DATA)
+                return -EBADMSG;
+
         /* FIXME: fix return value assignment. */
 
         /* This returns the first (when the direction is down, otherwise the last) entry linked to the
@@ -3671,7 +3677,9 @@ int journal_file_move_to_entry_by_offset_for_data(
 
         assert(f);
         assert(d);
-        assert(d->object.type == OBJECT_DATA);
+
+        if (d->object.type != OBJECT_DATA)
+                return -EBADMSG;
 
         return generic_array_bisect_for_data(
                         f,
@@ -3697,7 +3705,9 @@ int journal_file_move_to_entry_by_monotonic_for_data(
 
         assert(f);
         assert(d);
-        assert(d->object.type == OBJECT_DATA);
+
+        if (d->object.type != OBJECT_DATA)
+                return -EBADMSG;
 
         /* First, pin the given data object, before reading the _BOOT_ID= data object below. */
         r = journal_file_pin_object(f, d);
@@ -3763,7 +3773,9 @@ int journal_file_move_to_entry_by_seqnum_for_data(
 
         assert(f);
         assert(d);
-        assert(d->object.type == OBJECT_DATA);
+
+        if (d->object.type != OBJECT_DATA)
+                return -EBADMSG;
 
         return generic_array_bisect_for_data(
                         f,
@@ -3783,7 +3795,9 @@ int journal_file_move_to_entry_by_realtime_for_data(
 
         assert(f);
         assert(d);
-        assert(d->object.type == OBJECT_DATA);
+
+        if (d->object.type != OBJECT_DATA)
+                return -EBADMSG;
 
         return generic_array_bisect_for_data(
                         f,