diff --git a/Zend/tests/gh20628_005.phpt b/Zend/tests/gh20628_005.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..43b49e0c18f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Zend/tests/gh20628_005.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+--TEST--
+Failed assertion for assignment in expression context
+--CREDITS--
+Matteo Beccati (mbeccati)
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+function foo() {
+    return ['bar' => 'baz'];
+}
+
+var_dump(($v = foo())['bar'], $v);
+
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+string(3) "baz"
+array(1) {
+  ["bar"]=>
+  string(3) "baz"
+}
diff --git a/Zend/zend_compile.c b/Zend/zend_compile.c
index 325953e158e..a013efab859 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_compile.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_compile.c
@@ -12303,7 +12303,6 @@ static zend_op *zend_compile_var_inner(znode *result, zend_ast *ast, uint32_t ty
 			zend_compile_assign_ref(result, ast, type);
 			return NULL;
 		case ZEND_AST_ASSIGN:
-			ZEND_ASSERT(ast->child[0]->kind == ZEND_AST_ARRAY && zend_propagate_list_refs(ast->child[0]));
 			zend_compile_assign(result, ast, false, type);
 			return NULL;
 		default: