diff --git a/src/runner.c b/src/runner.c
index aceb2be5c1323ca0105738dbaf13af55364a37c1..e1f97e612004ba3abd44630db6b812d45e73b43c 100644
--- a/src/runner.c
+++ b/src/runner.c
@@ -280,12 +280,6 @@ void runner_do_stars_ghost(struct runner *r, struct cell *c, int timer) {
                 n_target, left[i], right[i]);
           }
 
-#ifdef SWIFT_DEBUG_CHECKS
-          if ((f > 0.f && h_new > h_old) || (f < 0.f && h_new < h_old))
-            error(
-                "Smoothing length correction not going in the right direction");
-#endif
-
           /* Safety check: truncate to the range [ h_old/2 , 2h_old ]. */
           h_new = min(h_new, 2.f * h_old);
           h_new = max(h_new, 0.5f * h_old);