diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/interactor.py b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/interactor.py
index da4bf13baf3..f4f09bd0403 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/interactor.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/interactor.py
@@ -1430,8 +1430,6 @@ def verify_tool(
             raise e
 
         if not expected_failure_occurred:
-            assert data_list or data_collection_list
-
             try:
                 job_stdio = _verify_outputs(
                     testdef, test_history, jobs, data_list, data_collection_list, galaxy_interactor, quiet=quiet
@@ -1487,6 +1485,7 @@ def _handle_def_errors(testdef):
 
 
 def _verify_outputs(testdef, history, jobs, data_list, data_collection_list, galaxy_interactor, quiet=False):
+    assert data_list or data_collection_list, "Tool produced no output data"
     assert len(jobs) == 1, "Test framework logic error, somehow tool test resulted in more than one job."
     job = jobs[0]