diff --git a/Objects/obmalloc.c b/Objects/obmalloc.c
index a1142f3..f284d9f 100644
--- a/Objects/obmalloc.c
+++ b/Objects/obmalloc.c
@@ -1227,6 +1227,9 @@
 
     _Py_AllocatedBlocks++;
 
+    if (nelem == 0 || elsize == 0)
+        goto redirect;
+
     assert(nelem <= PY_SSIZE_T_MAX / elsize);
     nbytes = nelem * elsize;
 
@@ -1237,9 +1240,6 @@
         goto redirect;
 #endif
 
-    if (nelem == 0 || elsize == 0)
-        goto redirect;
-
     if ((nbytes - 1) < SMALL_REQUEST_THRESHOLD) {
         LOCK();
         /*