diff --git a/src/node_file.cc b/src/node_file.cc
index 8c2a902ed83b78..44b4d4595e4455 100644
--- a/src/node_file.cc
+++ b/src/node_file.cc
@@ -1559,12 +1559,12 @@ static void Unlink(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
 
   if (argc > 1) {  // unlink(path, req)
     FSReqBase* req_wrap_async = GetReqWrap(args, 1);
+    CHECK_NOT_NULL(req_wrap_async);
     ASYNC_THROW_IF_INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS(
         env,
         req_wrap_async,
         permission::PermissionScope::kFileSystemWrite,
         path.ToStringView());
-    CHECK_NOT_NULL(req_wrap_async);
     FS_ASYNC_TRACE_BEGIN1(
         UV_FS_UNLINK, req_wrap_async, "path", TRACE_STR_COPY(*path))
     AsyncCall(env, req_wrap_async, args, "unlink", UTF8, AfterNoArgs,