diff --git a/aider/main.py b/aider/main.py
index 5b0ab6dfa..be90d8776 100644
--- a/aider/main.py
+++ b/aider/main.py
@@ -307,8 +307,12 @@ def sanity_check_repo(repo, io):
         error_msg = str(repo.git_repo_error)
     except ANY_GIT_ERROR as exc:
         error_msg = str(exc)
+        bad_ver = "version in (1, 2)" in error_msg
+    except AssertionError as exc:
+        error_msg = str(exc)
+        bad_ver = True
 
-    if "version in (1, 2)" in error_msg:
+    if bad_ver:
         io.tool_error("Aider only works with git repos with version number 1 or 2.")
         io.tool_output("You may be able to convert your repo: git update-index --index-version=2")
         io.tool_output("Or run aider --no-git to proceed without using git.")
diff --git a/aider/repo.py b/aider/repo.py
index 69a5a3c52..7416c4d40 100644
--- a/aider/repo.py
+++ b/aider/repo.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from aider.sendchat import simple_send_with_retries
 
 from .dump import dump  # noqa: F401
 
-ANY_GIT_ERROR = (git.exc.ODBError, git.exc.GitError, OSError, AssertionError)
+ANY_GIT_ERROR = (git.exc.ODBError, git.exc.GitError, OSError)
 
 
 class GitRepo: