diff --git a/src/blockstore/blockstore_heap.cpp b/src/blockstore/blockstore_heap.cpp
index 8d4f6928..47581320 100644
--- a/src/blockstore/blockstore_heap.cpp
+++ b/src/blockstore/blockstore_heap.cpp
@@ -2322,7 +2322,8 @@ void blockstore_heap_t::use_buffer_area(inode_t inode, uint64_t location, uint64
         return;
     }
     assert(!(size % dsk->bitmap_granularity));
-    buffer_alloc->use(location / dsk->bitmap_granularity, size / dsk->bitmap_granularity);
+    bool ok = buffer_alloc->use(location / dsk->bitmap_granularity, size / dsk->bitmap_granularity);
+    assert(ok);
     buffer_area_used_space += size;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/blockstore/multilist.cpp b/src/blockstore/multilist.cpp
index df831e36..d571700e 100644
--- a/src/blockstore/multilist.cpp
+++ b/src/blockstore/multilist.cpp
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ void multilist_alloc_t::print()
     printf("\n");
 }
 
-void multilist_alloc_t::use(uint32_t pos, uint32_t size)
+bool multilist_alloc_t::use(uint32_t pos, uint32_t size)
 {
     assert(pos+size <= count && size > 0);
     if (sizes[pos] <= 0)
@@ -182,7 +182,8 @@ void multilist_alloc_t::use(uint32_t pos, uint32_t size)
         else
             while (start > 0 && !sizes[start])
                 start--;
-        assert(sizes[start] >= size);
+        if (sizes[start] < size+(pos-start))
+            return false;
         use_full(start);
         uint32_t full = sizes[start];
         sizes[pos-1] = -pos+start;
@@ -199,7 +200,8 @@ void multilist_alloc_t::use(uint32_t pos, uint32_t size)
     }
     else
     {
-        assert(sizes[pos] >= size);
+        if (sizes[pos] < size)
+            return false;
         use_full(pos);
         if (sizes[pos] > size)
         {
@@ -214,12 +216,13 @@ void multilist_alloc_t::use(uint32_t pos, uint32_t size)
 #ifdef MULTILIST_TRACE
     print();
 #endif
+    return true;
 }
 
 void multilist_alloc_t::use_full(uint32_t pos)
 {
     uint32_t prevsize = sizes[pos];
-    assert(prevsize);
+    assert(prevsize > 0);
     assert(nexts[pos]);
     uint32_t pi = (prevsize < maxn ? prevsize : maxn)-1;
     if (heads[pi] == pos+1)
diff --git a/src/blockstore/multilist.h b/src/blockstore/multilist.h
index 3c80eafa..bcee68ed 100644
--- a/src/blockstore/multilist.h
+++ b/src/blockstore/multilist.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ struct multilist_alloc_t
     bool is_free(uint32_t pos);
     uint32_t find(uint32_t size);
     void use_full(uint32_t pos);
-    void use(uint32_t pos, uint32_t size);
+    bool use(uint32_t pos, uint32_t size);
     void do_free(uint32_t pos);
     void free(uint32_t pos);
     void verify();
diff --git a/src/test/test_heap.cpp b/src/test/test_heap.cpp
index e44bbea1..b88eb944 100644
--- a/src/test/test_heap.cpp
+++ b/src/test/test_heap.cpp
@@ -1902,6 +1902,19 @@ void test_alloc_buffer()
         alloc.verify();
     }
 
+    {
+        multilist_alloc_t alloc(100, 10);
+
+        alloc.use(50, 10);
+        alloc.verify();
+
+        // 48, 5 overlaps with 50, 10 -> should fail to allocate
+        bool ok = alloc.use(48, 5);
+        assert(!ok);
+
+        alloc.verify();
+    }
+
     blockstore_heap_t heap(&dsk, buffer_area.data());
     heap.finish_recheck();