diff --git a/service.c b/service.c
index 21e8436661..ddf03bbf12 100644
--- a/service.c
+++ b/service.c
@@ -1461,11 +1461,12 @@ static void service_enter_restart(Service *s) {
         int r;
         assert(s);
 
+        service_enter_dead(s, true, false);
+
         if ((r = manager_add_job(UNIT(s)->meta.manager, JOB_START, UNIT(s), JOB_FAIL, false, NULL)) < 0)
                 goto fail;
 
         log_debug("%s scheduled restart job.", unit_id(UNIT(s)));
-        service_enter_dead(s, true, false);
         return;
 
 fail:
diff --git a/unit.c b/unit.c
index 7d570056b4..30ffd96311 100644
--- a/unit.c
+++ b/unit.c
@@ -850,8 +850,6 @@ void unit_notify(Unit *u, UnitActiveState os, UnitActiveState ns) {
         assert(u);
         assert(os < _UNIT_ACTIVE_STATE_MAX);
         assert(ns < _UNIT_ACTIVE_STATE_MAX);
-        assert(!(os == UNIT_ACTIVE && ns == UNIT_ACTIVATING));
-        assert(!(os == UNIT_INACTIVE && ns == UNIT_DEACTIVATING));
 
         /* Note that this is called for all low-level state changes,
          * even if they might map to the same high-level