diff --git a/lib/ns/client.c b/lib/ns/client.c
index ebfcc77ba9..c6b268b974 100644
--- a/lib/ns/client.c
+++ b/lib/ns/client.c
@@ -124,8 +124,6 @@ clientmgr_detach(ns_clientmgr_t **mp);
 static void
 clientmgr_destroy(ns_clientmgr_t *manager);
 static void
-ns_client_endrequest(ns_client_t *client);
-static void
 ns_client_dumpmessage(ns_client_t *client, const char *reason);
 static void
 compute_cookie(ns_client_t *client, uint32_t when, uint32_t nonce,
@@ -263,16 +261,10 @@ ns_client_endrequest(ns_client_t *client) {
 	dns_message_reset(client->message, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE);
 
 	/*
-	 * Clean up from recursion - normally this would be done in
-	 * fetch_callback(), but if we're shutting down and canceling then
-	 * it might not have happened.
+	 * Ensure there are no recursions that still need to be cleaned up.
 	 */
 	for (int i = 0; i < RECTYPE_COUNT; i++) {
-		if (client->query.recursions[i].quota != NULL) {
-			isc_quota_detach(&client->query.recursions[i].quota);
-			ns_stats_decrement(client->manager->sctx->nsstats,
-					   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
-		}
+		INSIST(client->query.recursions[i].quota == NULL);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -1646,9 +1638,6 @@ ns__client_reset_cb(void *client0) {
 	}
 
 	client->state = NS_CLIENTSTATE_READY;
-	for (int i = 0; i < RECTYPE_COUNT; i++) {
-		INSIST(client->query.recursions[i].quota == NULL);
-	}
 
 #ifdef WANT_SINGLETRACE
 	isc_log_setforcelog(false);