diff --git a/bus/connection.c b/bus/connection.c
index b1b6bdd5..add1c8b8 100644
--- a/bus/connection.c
+++ b/bus/connection.c
@@ -543,9 +543,6 @@ bus_connections_unref (BusConnections *connections)
 
       _dbus_assert (connections->n_incomplete == 0);
 
-      /* drop all monitors */
-      _dbus_list_clear (&connections->monitors);
-
       /* drop all real connections */
       while (connections->completed != NULL)
         {
@@ -561,6 +558,10 @@ bus_connections_unref (BusConnections *connections)
 
       _dbus_assert (connections->n_completed == 0);
 
+      /* disconnecting all the connections should have emptied the list of
+       * monitors (each link is removed in bus_connection_disconnected) */
+      _dbus_assert (connections->monitors == NULL);
+
       bus_expire_list_free (connections->pending_replies);
       
       _dbus_loop_remove_timeout (bus_context_get_loop (connections->context),