diff --git a/src/mem/cache/cache.cc b/src/mem/cache/cache.cc
index 5d7fcca84d..c755fb29ce 100644
--- a/src/mem/cache/cache.cc
+++ b/src/mem/cache/cache.cc
@@ -1858,6 +1858,7 @@ Cache::allocateBlock(Addr addr, bool is_secure, PacketList &writebacks)
             } else {
                 writebacks.push_back(cleanEvictBlk(blk));
             }
+            invalidateBlock(blk);
             replacements++;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/mem/cache/tags/base.cc b/src/mem/cache/tags/base.cc
index dfd6976fd8..7d0a939898 100644
--- a/src/mem/cache/tags/base.cc
+++ b/src/mem/cache/tags/base.cc
@@ -75,13 +75,11 @@ BaseTags::setCache(BaseCache *_cache)
 void
 BaseTags::insertBlock(PacketPtr pkt, CacheBlk *blk)
 {
+    assert(!blk->isValid());
+
     // Get address
     Addr addr = pkt->getAddr();
 
-    if (blk->isValid()) {
-        invalidate(blk);
-    }
-
     // Previous block, if existed, has been removed, and now we have
     // to insert the new one