diff --git a/js/js.translator/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/translate/utils/TranslationUtils.java b/js/js.translator/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/translate/utils/TranslationUtils.java
index 8d38676c837..66f7ecc5ce5 100644
--- a/js/js.translator/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/translate/utils/TranslationUtils.java
+++ b/js/js.translator/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/translate/utils/TranslationUtils.java
@@ -258,9 +258,10 @@ public final class TranslationUtils {
         JsExpression thenExpression = ensureNotNull.getThenExpression();
         if (thenExpression instanceof JsNameRef) {
             JsName name = ((JsNameRef) thenExpression).getName();
-            assert name != null : "Unexpected state: getName() returned null for `" +thenExpression + "`, ensureNotNull: "+ ensureNotNull;
-            // associate(cache) ensureNotNull expression to new TemporaryConstVariable with same name.
-            context.associateExpressionToLazyValue(ensureNotNull, new TemporaryConstVariable(name, ensureNotNull));
+            if (name != null) {
+                // associate(cache) ensureNotNull expression to new TemporaryConstVariable with same name.
+                context.associateExpressionToLazyValue(ensureNotNull, new TemporaryConstVariable(name, ensureNotNull));
+            }
         }
 
         return ensureNotNull;