Index: src/pager.c
==================================================================
--- src/pager.c
+++ src/pager.c
@@ -5300,11 +5300,11 @@
   /* This function should not be called if the pager is not in at least
   ** PAGER_RESERVED state. **FIXME**: Make it so that this test always
   ** fails - make it so that we never reach this point if we do not hold
   ** all necessary locks.
   */
-  if( pPager->state<PAGER_RESERVED ) return SQLITE_ERROR;
+  if( NEVER(pPager->state<PAGER_RESERVED) ) return SQLITE_ERROR;
 
   /* An optimization. If the database was not actually modified during
   ** this transaction, the pager is running in exclusive-mode and is
   ** using persistent journals, then this function is a no-op.
   **