diff --git a/changes/bug2378 b/changes/bug2378
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a3ae196dc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug2378
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+  o Minor code simplifications and refactorings
+    - Always treat failure to allocate an RSA key as an unrecoverable
+      allocation error.
diff --git a/src/common/crypto.c b/src/common/crypto.c
index 4223b10a7f..09d7fc886b 100644
--- a/src/common/crypto.c
+++ b/src/common/crypto.c
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ crypto_new_pk_env(void)
   RSA *rsa;
 
   rsa = RSA_new();
-  if (!rsa) return NULL;
+  tor_assert(rsa);
   return _crypto_new_pk_env_rsa(rsa);
 }