diff --git a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
index dcadc73a8d..069a8f77ef 100644
--- a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
+++ b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
     <changes>
         <release version="3.8-beta5" date="2011-??-??">
+           <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">51716 - Removed incorrect assert in SXSSFSheet#getSXSSFSheet</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">51834 - Opening and Writing .doc file results in corrupt document</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">51902 - Picture.fillRawImageContent - ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException (duplicate)</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">51890 - ArrayIndexOutOfBounds ExceptionPicture.fillRawImageContent</action>
diff --git a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFWorkbook.java b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFWorkbook.java
index adcc995ec6..ab37fc9763 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFWorkbook.java
@@ -161,7 +161,6 @@ public class SXSSFWorkbook implements Workbook
     SXSSFSheet getSXSSFSheet(XSSFSheet sheet)
     {
         SXSSFSheet result=_xFromSxHash.get(sheet);
-        assert result!=null;
         return result;
     }