diff --git a/lib/libalpm/trans.c b/lib/libalpm/trans.c
index ae5c72ae..82181d1b 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/trans.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/trans.c
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_trans_commit(alpm_handle_t *handle, alpm_list_t **data)
 	ASSERT(trans != NULL, RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_TRANS_NULL, -1));
 	ASSERT(trans->state == STATE_PREPARED, RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_TRANS_NOT_PREPARED, -1));
 
-	ASSERT(!(trans->flags & ALPM_TRANS_FLAG_NOLOCK), RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_TRANS_NOT_LOCKED, -1));
+	ASSERT(!(trans->flags & ALPM_TRANS_FLAG_NOLOCK && !(trans->flags & ALPM_TRANS_FLAG_DOWNLOADONLY)),
+			RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_TRANS_NOT_LOCKED, -1));
 
 	/* If there's nothing to do, return without complaining */
 	if(trans->add == NULL && trans->remove == NULL) {