diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvclient/kvstreamer/requests_provider.go b/pkg/kv/kvclient/kvstreamer/requests_provider.go
index 14efdd53ab6b..6f1baf680cb3 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvclient/kvstreamer/requests_provider.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvclient/kvstreamer/requests_provider.go
@@ -264,6 +264,9 @@ func (p *outOfOrderRequestsProvider) enqueue(requests []singleRangeBatch) {
 	if len(p.requests) > 0 {
 		panic(errors.AssertionFailedf("outOfOrderRequestsProvider has old requests in enqueue"))
 	}
+	if len(requests) == 0 {
+		panic(errors.AssertionFailedf("outOfOrderRequestsProvider enqueuing zero requests"))
+	}
 	p.requests = requests
 	p.hasWork.Signal()
 }
@@ -388,6 +391,9 @@ func (p *inOrderRequestsProvider) enqueue(requests []singleRangeBatch) {
 	if len(p.requests) > 0 {
 		panic(errors.AssertionFailedf("inOrderRequestsProvider has old requests in enqueue"))
 	}
+	if len(requests) == 0 {
+		panic(errors.AssertionFailedf("inOrderRequestsProvider enqueuing zero requests"))
+	}
 	p.requests = requests
 	p.heapInit()
 	p.hasWork.Signal()