diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.hpp
index a2f84ac237355..25dd0efc0aaca 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.hpp
@@ -323,11 +323,13 @@ class AbstractRBTree {
 
   // Inserts the given node into the tree.
   void insert(const K& key, NodeType* node, const NodeType* hint_node = nullptr) {
+    assert(node != nullptr, "must be");
     Cursor node_cursor = cursor(key, hint_node);
     insert_at_cursor(node, node_cursor);
   }
 
   void remove(NodeType* node) {
+    assert(node != nullptr, "must be");
     Cursor node_cursor = cursor(node);
     remove_at_cursor(node_cursor);
   }
@@ -472,6 +474,8 @@ class RBTree : public AbstractRBTree<K, RBNode<K, V>, COMPARATOR> {
   using BaseType::prev;
 
   void replace_at_cursor(RBNode<K, V>* new_node, const Cursor& node_cursor) {
+    assert(new_node != nullptr, "must be");
+    assert(node_cursor.valid() && node_cursor.found(), "must be");
     RBNode<K, V>* old_node = node_cursor.node();
     BaseType::replace_at_cursor(new_node, node_cursor);
     free_node(old_node);
@@ -494,6 +498,7 @@ class RBTree : public AbstractRBTree<K, RBNode<K, V>, COMPARATOR> {
   }
 
   void free_node(RBNode<K, V>* node) {
+    assert(node != nullptr, "must be");
     node->_value.~V();
     _allocator.free(node);
   }
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.inline.hpp
index 6e01f92d12af4..fd59ec76ecd9a 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/utilities/rbTree.inline.hpp
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ AbstractRBTree<K, NodeType, COMPARATOR>::cursor(const K& key, const NodeType* hi
 
 template <typename K, typename NodeType, typename COMPARATOR>
 inline void AbstractRBTree<K, NodeType, COMPARATOR>::insert_at_cursor(NodeType* node, const Cursor& node_cursor) {
+  assert(node != nullptr, "must be");
   assert(node_cursor.valid() && !node_cursor.found(), "must be");
   _num_nodes++;
 
@@ -543,6 +544,7 @@ AbstractRBTree<K, NodeType, COMPARATOR>::prev(const Cursor& node_cursor) const {
 
 template <typename K, typename NodeType, typename COMPARATOR>
 inline void AbstractRBTree<K, NodeType, COMPARATOR>::replace_at_cursor(NodeType* new_node, const Cursor& node_cursor) {
+  assert(new_node != nullptr, "must be");
   assert(node_cursor.valid() && node_cursor.found(), "must be");
   NodeType* old_node = node_cursor.node();
   if (old_node == new_node) {