diff --git a/src/nanoemoji/colr_to_svg.py b/src/nanoemoji/colr_to_svg.py
index 993028f3..700b6897 100644
--- a/src/nanoemoji/colr_to_svg.py
+++ b/src/nanoemoji/colr_to_svg.py
@@ -327,15 +327,9 @@ def glyph_region(ttfont: ttLib.TTFont, glyph_name: str) -> Rect:
 def _view_box_and_transform(
     ttfont: ttLib.TTFont, view_box_callback: ViewboxCallback, glyph_name: str
 ) -> Tuple[Rect, Affine2D]:
-
     view_box = view_box_callback(glyph_name)
-    assert view_box.w > 0, f"0-width viewBox for {glyph_name}?!"
-
     region = glyph_region(ttfont, glyph_name)
-    assert region.w > 0, f"0-width region for {glyph_name}?!"
-
     font_to_vbox = map_font_space_to_viewbox(view_box, region)
-
     return (view_box, font_to_vbox)
 
 
diff --git a/src/nanoemoji/generate_svgs_from_colr.py b/src/nanoemoji/generate_svgs_from_colr.py
index ce6178f2..72e425c7 100644
--- a/src/nanoemoji/generate_svgs_from_colr.py
+++ b/src/nanoemoji/generate_svgs_from_colr.py
@@ -37,9 +37,7 @@
 
 def _view_box(font: ttLib.TTFont, glyph_name: str) -> Rect:
     # we want a viewbox that results in no scaling when translating from font-space
-    region = glyph_region(font, glyph_name)
-    assert region.w > 0, f"0-width region for {glyph_name}"
-    return region
+    return glyph_region(font, glyph_name)
 
 
 def main(argv):