diff --git a/R/check.R b/R/check.R
index 2b5b74791..810c21601 100644
--- a/R/check.R
+++ b/R/check.R
@@ -38,10 +38,6 @@
 #' all(unlist(s2))
 sanity <- function(object, big_sd_log10 = 2, gradient_thresh = 0.001, silent = FALSE) {
 
-  if ( isFALSE(object$call$do_fit)) {
-    cli_abort("`do_fit = FALSE` so this model hasn't been fit yet")
-  }
-
   # make it easy to use output from try()
   if (length(object) <= 1L) {
     if (is.na(object) || is.null(object)) {
@@ -52,6 +48,9 @@ sanity <- function(object, big_sd_log10 = 2, gradient_thresh = 0.001, silent = F
     return(FALSE)
   }
   assert_that(inherits(object, "sdmTMB"))
+  if ( isFALSE(object$call$do_fit)) {
+    cli_abort("`do_fit = FALSE` so this model hasn't been fit yet")
+  }
 
   hessian_ok <- eigen_values_ok <- gradients_ok <- se_magnitude_ok <- FALSE
   nlminb_ok <- FALSE