diff --git a/Bounding_volumes/include/CGAL/rectangular_3_center_2.h b/Bounding_volumes/include/CGAL/rectangular_3_center_2.h
index 6373bd4c219..276f286fcbf 100644
--- a/Bounding_volumes/include/CGAL/rectangular_3_center_2.h
+++ b/Bounding_volumes/include/CGAL/rectangular_3_center_2.h
@@ -1371,9 +1371,8 @@ CGAL_3CENTER_REPEAT_CHECK:
 
   // try rho_min
   CGAL_assertion(rho_min <= rho_max);
-  CGAL_assertion(rho_min >= 0);
   FT rad_2 = q_t_q_r_cover_at_rho_min;
-  if (s_at_rho_min != e_at_rho_min) {
+  if (rho_min >= 0 && s_at_rho_min != e_at_rho_min) {
     auto mydist = [&q_t_at_rho_min, &q_r_at_rho_min, &op](const Point& p)
                   { return Min<FT>()( op.distance()(q_t_at_rho_min, p),
                                       op.distance()(q_r_at_rho_min, p)); };