diff --git a/grudge/symbolic/operators.py b/grudge/symbolic/operators.py
index 58a093f705198231b889d696c7593d570034bf23..bf9bf95878b6b3ed0974fc324ad26a681e1672e4 100644
--- a/grudge/symbolic/operators.py
+++ b/grudge/symbolic/operators.py
@@ -191,8 +191,6 @@ class ReferenceDiffOperatorBase(Operator):
         super(ReferenceDiffOperatorBase, self).__init__(where)
 
         self.rst_axis = rst_axis
-        if self.where is None:
-            1/0
 
     def __getinitargs__(self):
         return (self.rst_axis, self.where)