diff --git a/gnome/src/presence.c b/gnome/src/presence.c
index 85e400172bb68a0e27cec42fa8c51ac8c0010e62..4da43fd66c54a866a9bd2946f21928c95bf60c27 100644
--- a/gnome/src/presence.c
+++ b/gnome/src/presence.c
@@ -387,8 +387,7 @@ presence_buddy_create()
 buddy_t *
 presence_buddy_copy(buddy_t * b_src)
 {
-    if (!b_src)
-        return NULL;
+    g_assert(b_src);
 
     buddy_t *b_dest = g_malloc(sizeof(buddy_t));
     b_dest->alias = g_strdup(b_src->alias);