diff --git a/GUI/Model/Session/SessionModel.cpp b/GUI/Model/Session/SessionModel.cpp
index a34c1a32442c9b80ba85c5b87b3cd03ddeae364d..c52c1143c454ddb126b105ccc22ef1d704b3ce53 100644
--- a/GUI/Model/Session/SessionModel.cpp
+++ b/GUI/Model/Session/SessionModel.cpp
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ SessionItem* SessionModel::insertNewItem(QString model_type, SessionItem* parent
 {
     if (!parent_item)
         parent_item = m_root_item;
+    ASSERT(m_root_item);
     if (row > parent_item->numberOfChildren())
         return nullptr;
     if (parent_item != m_root_item) {