diff --git a/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c b/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c
index c479039d42..927e8b9258 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c
@@ -255,10 +255,12 @@ int up_cpu_pause(int cpu)
    * handler from returning until up_cpu_resume() is called; g_cpu_paused
    * is a handshake that will prefent this function from returning until
    * the CPU is actually paused.
+   * Note that we might spin before getting g_cpu_wait, this just means that
+   * the other CPU still hasn't finished responding to the previous resume
+   * request.
    */
 
-  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]) &&
-              !spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
+  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
 
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]);
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]);
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/cxd56xx/cxd56_cpupause.c b/arch/arm/src/cxd56xx/cxd56_cpupause.c
index 3bd3be9267..e56ab978af 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/cxd56xx/cxd56_cpupause.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/cxd56xx/cxd56_cpupause.c
@@ -350,10 +350,12 @@ int up_cpu_pause(int cpu)
    * handler from returning until up_cpu_resume() is called; g_cpu_paused
    * is a handshake that will prefent this function from returning until
    * the CPU is actually paused.
+   * Note that we might spin before getting g_cpu_wait, this just means that
+   * the other CPU still hasn't finished responding to the previous resume
+   * request.
    */
 
-  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]) &&
-              !spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
+  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
 
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]);
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]);
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/lc823450/lc823450_cpupause.c b/arch/arm/src/lc823450/lc823450_cpupause.c
index af8165cfac..9c41e828c9 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/lc823450/lc823450_cpupause.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/lc823450/lc823450_cpupause.c
@@ -266,10 +266,12 @@ int up_cpu_pause(int cpu)
    * handler from returning until up_cpu_resume() is called; g_cpu_paused
    * is a handshake that will prefent this function from returning until
    * the CPU is actually paused.
+   * Note that we might spin before getting g_cpu_wait, this just means that
+   * the other CPU still hasn't finished responding to the previous resume
+   * request.
    */
 
-  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]) &&
-              !spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
+  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
 
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]);
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]);
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/rp2040/rp2040_cpupause.c b/arch/arm/src/rp2040/rp2040_cpupause.c
index 639bb59251..00e69450c3 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/rp2040/rp2040_cpupause.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/rp2040/rp2040_cpupause.c
@@ -321,10 +321,12 @@ int up_cpu_pause(int cpu)
    * handler from returning until up_cpu_resume() is called; g_cpu_paused
    * is a handshake that will prefent this function from returning until
    * the CPU is actually paused.
+   * Note that we might spin before getting g_cpu_wait, this just means that
+   * the other CPU still hasn't finished responding to the previous resume
+   * request.
    */
 
-  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]) &&
-              !spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
+  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
 
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]);
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]);
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam4cm_cpupause.c b/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam4cm_cpupause.c
index 382a3e07b3..e7285c1ec2 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam4cm_cpupause.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam4cm_cpupause.c
@@ -256,10 +256,12 @@ int up_cpu_pause(int cpu)
    * interrupt handler from returning until up_cpu_resume() is called;
    * g_cpu_paused is a handshake that will prefent this function from
    * returning until the CPU is actually paused.
+   * Note that we might spin before getting g_cpu_wait, this just means that
+   * the other CPU still hasn't finished responding to the previous resume
+   * request.
    */
 
-  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]) &&
-              !spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
+  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
 
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]);
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]);
diff --git a/arch/risc-v/src/k210/k210_cpupause.c b/arch/risc-v/src/k210/k210_cpupause.c
index 3ac5042cc4..40270b761c 100644
--- a/arch/risc-v/src/k210/k210_cpupause.c
+++ b/arch/risc-v/src/k210/k210_cpupause.c
@@ -257,10 +257,12 @@ int up_cpu_pause(int cpu)
    * handler from returning until up_cpu_resume() is called; g_cpu_paused
    * is a handshake that will prefent this function from returning until
    * the CPU is actually paused.
+   * Note that we might spin before getting g_cpu_wait, this just means that
+   * the other CPU still hasn't finished responding to the previous resume
+   * request.
    */
 
-  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]) &&
-              !spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
+  DEBUGASSERT(!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]));
 
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_wait[cpu]);
   spin_lock(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]);