diff --git a/chardev/char-io.c b/chardev/char-io.c
index dab77b112e..3be17b51ca 100644
--- a/chardev/char-io.c
+++ b/chardev/char-io.c
@@ -87,16 +87,12 @@ static gboolean io_watch_poll_dispatch(GSource *source, GSourceFunc callback,
 
 static void io_watch_poll_finalize(GSource *source)
 {
-    /*
-     * Due to a glib bug, removing the last reference to a source
-     * inside a finalize callback causes recursive locking (and a
-     * deadlock).  This is not a problem inside other callbacks,
-     * including dispatch callbacks, so we call io_remove_watch_poll
-     * to remove this source.  At this point, iwp->src must
-     * be NULL, or we would leak it.
-     */
     IOWatchPoll *iwp = io_watch_poll_from_source(source);
-    assert(iwp->src == NULL);
+    if (iwp->src) {
+        g_source_destroy(iwp->src);
+        g_source_unref(iwp->src);
+        iwp->src = NULL;
+    }
 }
 
 static GSourceFuncs io_watch_poll_funcs = {
@@ -139,11 +135,6 @@ static void io_remove_watch_poll(GSource *source)
     IOWatchPoll *iwp;
 
     iwp = io_watch_poll_from_source(source);
-    if (iwp->src) {
-        g_source_destroy(iwp->src);
-        g_source_unref(iwp->src);
-        iwp->src = NULL;
-    }
     g_source_destroy(&iwp->parent);
 }