diff --git a/common/include/villas/list.h b/common/include/villas/list.h
index 0b83e308a..5680d285a 100644
--- a/common/include/villas/list.h
+++ b/common/include/villas/list.h
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@
 /** Static list initialization */
 #define LIST_INIT_STATIC(l)					\
 __attribute__((constructor(105))) static void UNIQUE(__ctor)() {\
-	if ((l)->state == State::DESTROYED)			\
-		vlist_init(l);					\
+	vlist_init(l);						\
 }								\
 __attribute__((destructor(105))) static void UNIQUE(__dtor)() {	\
 	vlist_destroy(l, nullptr, false);				\
diff --git a/common/lib/list.cpp b/common/lib/list.cpp
index 4b09fe148..b1501ad45 100644
--- a/common/lib/list.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/list.cpp
@@ -55,8 +55,6 @@ static int cmp_sort(const void *a, const void *b, void *thunk) {
 
 int vlist_init(struct vlist *l)
 {
-	assert(l->state == State::DESTROYED);
-
 	pthread_mutex_init(&l->lock, nullptr);
 
 	l->length = 0;
diff --git a/common/tests/unit/list.cpp b/common/tests/unit/list.cpp
index 65b08ad5a..373dc3620 100644
--- a/common/tests/unit/list.cpp
+++ b/common/tests/unit/list.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ TestSuite(list, .description = "List datastructure");
 Test(list, vlist_lookup)
 {
 	struct vlist l;
-	l.state = State::DESTROYED;
 
 	vlist_init(&l);
 
@@ -67,7 +66,6 @@ Test(list, vlist_lookup)
 Test(list, vlist_search)
 {
 	struct vlist l;
-	l.state = State::DESTROYED;
 
 	vlist_init(&l);
 
@@ -108,7 +106,6 @@ static int dtor(void *ptr)
 Test(list, destructor)
 {
 	struct vlist l;
-	l.state = State::DESTROYED;
 
 	struct content elm;
 	elm.destroyed = 0;
@@ -128,7 +125,6 @@ Test(list, basics)
 	uintptr_t i;
 	int ret;
 	struct vlist l;
-	l.state = State::DESTROYED;
 
 	vlist_init(&l);