diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/PacketParserUtils.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/PacketParserUtils.java
index f057f2079..288af9192 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/PacketParserUtils.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/PacketParserUtils.java
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public class PacketParserUtils {
      * @throws Exception
      */
     public static Packet parseStanza(XmlPullParser parser, XMPPConnection connection) throws Exception {
-        assert(parser.getEventType() == XmlPullParser.START_TAG);
+        ParserUtils.assertAtStartTag(parser);
         final String name = parser.getName();
         switch (name) {
         case Message.ELEMENT: