diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 122164bd38..52476a2808 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -1884,6 +1884,7 @@ bool CChainState::ConnectBlock(const CBlock& block, CValidationState& state, CBl
             }
             view.SetBestBlock(pindex->GetBlockHash());
         }
+        nBlocksTotal++;
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -1950,6 +1951,7 @@ bool CChainState::ConnectBlock(const CBlock& block, CValidationState& state, CBl
     }
 
     int64_t nTime1 = GetTimeMicros(); nTimeCheck += nTime1 - nTimeStart;
+    assert(nBlocksTotal > 0);
     LogPrint(BCLog::BENCH, "    - Sanity checks: %.2fms [%.2fs (%.2fms/blk)]\n", MILLI * (nTime1 - nTimeStart), nTimeCheck * MICRO, nTimeCheck * MILLI / nBlocksTotal);
 
     // Do not allow blocks that contain transactions which 'overwrite' older transactions,