diff --git a/src/ecdsa_impl.h b/src/ecdsa_impl.h
index 359c621b93c1f..a9442399fb8c1 100644
--- a/src/ecdsa_impl.h
+++ b/src/ecdsa_impl.h
@@ -288,10 +288,14 @@ static int secp256k1_ecdsa_sig_sign(const secp256k1_ecmult_gen_context *ctx, sec
     secp256k1_fe_normalize(&r.y);
     secp256k1_fe_get_b32(b, &r.x);
     secp256k1_scalar_set_b32(sigr, b, &overflow);
-    /* These two conditions should be checked before calling */
-    VERIFY_CHECK(!secp256k1_scalar_is_zero(sigr));
-    VERIFY_CHECK(overflow == 0);
-
+    if (secp256k1_scalar_is_zero(sigr)) {
+        /* P.x = order is on the curve, so technically sig->r could end up zero, which would be an invalid signature.
+         * This branch is cryptographically unreachable as hitting it requires finding the discrete log of P.x = N.
+         */
+        secp256k1_gej_clear(&rp);
+        secp256k1_ge_clear(&r);
+        return 0;
+    }
     if (recid) {
         /* The overflow condition is cryptographically unreachable as hitting it requires finding the discrete log
          * of some P where P.x >= order, and only 1 in about 2^127 points meet this criteria.