diff --git a/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js b/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js
index 18df2923..ba084e28 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/protocol/parser.js
@@ -850,9 +850,8 @@ Parser.parseBlockCompact = function parseBlockCompact(p) {
     inCount = p.readVarint();
 
     if (inCount === 0) {
-      if (p.readU8() === 0)
-        throw new Error('Invalid witness tx (flag == 0)');
-      inCount = p.readVarint();
+      if (p.readU8() !== 0)
+        inCount = p.readVarint();
     }
 
     if (inCount > 0)
@@ -1055,12 +1054,11 @@ Parser.parseWitnessTX = function parseWitnessTX(p) {
 
   version = p.readU32(); // Technically signed
   marker = p.readU8();
+  flag = p.readU8();
 
   if (marker !== 0)
     throw new Error('Invalid witness tx (marker != 0)');
 
-  flag = p.readU8();
-
   if (flag === 0)
     throw new Error('Invalid witness tx (flag == 0)');
 
@@ -1085,7 +1083,8 @@ Parser.parseWitnessTX = function parseWitnessTX(p) {
       hasWitness = true;
   }
 
-  assert(hasWitness, 'Serialized wtx has an empty witness.');
+  if (!hasWitness)
+    throw new Error('Witness tx has an empty witness.');
 
   witnessSize = p.end() + 2;