diff --git a/gio/gwin32appinfo.c b/gio/gwin32appinfo.c
index 3468dfee0..cafd053b4 100644
--- a/gio/gwin32appinfo.c
+++ b/gio/gwin32appinfo.c
@@ -983,7 +983,10 @@ get_verbs (GWin32RegistryKey  *program_id_key,
                                                  name,
                                                  NULL);
 
-      g_assert (subkey != NULL);
+      /* We may not have the required access rights to open the child key */
+      if (subkey == NULL)
+        continue;
+
       /* The key we're looking at is "<some_root>/Shell/<this_key>",
        * where "Shell" is verbshell_prefix.
        * If it has a value named 'Subcommands' (doesn't matter what its data is),