diff --git a/src/app/InteractionModelEngine.cpp b/src/app/InteractionModelEngine.cpp
index bd9219b949da55..2509dba50a39f0 100644
--- a/src/app/InteractionModelEngine.cpp
+++ b/src/app/InteractionModelEngine.cpp
@@ -792,15 +792,15 @@ void InteractionModelEngine::RemoveReadClient(ReadClient * apReadClient)
 
     while (pCurListItem != apReadClient)
     {
+        //
+        // Item must exist in this tracker list. If not, there's a bug somewhere.
+        //
+        VerifyOrDie(pCurListItem != nullptr);
+
         pPrevListItem = pCurListItem;
         pCurListItem  = pCurListItem->GetNextClient();
     }
 
-    //
-    // Item must exist in this tracker list. If not, there's a bug somewhere.
-    //
-    VerifyOrDie(pCurListItem != nullptr);
-
     if (pPrevListItem)
     {
         pPrevListItem->SetNextClient(apReadClient->GetNextClient());