diff --git a/src/guard.rs b/src/guard.rs
index 2264c0d..cdd18a9 100644
--- a/src/guard.rs
+++ b/src/guard.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ impl<T> fmt::Debug for ContentGuard<'_, T> {
 
 impl<'vec, T> ContentGuard<'vec, T> {
     pub(crate) fn new_scoped(erased: &'vec mut TypeErasedVec) -> Self {
-        debug_assert!(!std::mem::needs_drop::<T>());
         Self {
             erased,
             reerase: TypeErasedVec::new_scoped,
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 60f0bbd..e021bfb 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -76,8 +76,11 @@ impl TypeErasedVec {
     }
 
     fn new_scoped<T>(vec: Vec<T>) -> Self {
-        // `ContentGuard::new_scoped` is only constructed after
-        // `try_as_type_scoped` has rejected types that need drop.
+        debug_assert!(
+            !std::mem::needs_drop::<T>(),
+            "scoped element types must not require drop"
+        );
+
         Self {
             parts: VecParts::from_vec(vec),
             layout: Layout::new::<T>(),