diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Balancing.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Balancing.hs
index 528d6f515..ec998ddc6 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Balancing.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Balancing.hs
@@ -152,14 +152,12 @@ isTransactionBalanced bopts = null . transactionCheckBalanced bopts
 -- when included in the larger journal.
 transactionCheckAssertions :: BalancingOpts -> Journal -> Transaction -> Either String Transaction
 transactionCheckAssertions bopts j t =
-  if (ignore_assertions_ bopts) || noassertions t then Right t else do
+  if (ignore_assertions_ bopts) then Right t else do
     j' <- journalStyleAmounts j 
     let newtxns = sortOn tdate (jtxns j' ++ [ t ])
     case journalBalanceTransactions bopts j'{jtxns = newtxns} of
       Right _ -> Right t
       Left e -> Left e
-  where
-    noassertions = all (isNothing . pbalanceassertion) . tpostings
 
 -- | Balance this transaction, ensuring that its postings
 -- (and its balanced virtual postings) sum to 0,
diff --git a/hledger/test/add.test b/hledger/test/add.test
index 988992749..22409fc00 100644
--- a/hledger/test/add.test
+++ b/hledger/test/add.test
@@ -246,6 +246,25 @@ $ rm -f nosuch.journal; hledger -f nosuch.journal add; rm -f nosuch.journal
 > /Save this transaction to the journal/
 >2 //
 
+## 18. add checks existing assertions 
+<
+2025-05-10
+x
+a
+10 USD  == 10 USD
+b
+-10 USD
+.
+y
+2025-05-01
+x
+a
+10 USD
+$ rm -f nosuch.journal; hledger -f nosuch.journal add; rm -f nosuch.journal
+> //
+>2 /Balance assertion failed in a/
+
+
 ## 18. shouldn't add decimals if there aren't any
 ## printf '\n\na\n1\nb\n' | hledger -f /dev/null add
 # <