diff --git a/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp b/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
index 683b14b20..00c96aa6f 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
@@ -522,9 +522,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// when we get a have message, this is called for that piece
 		void peer_has(int index)
 		{
-			if (m_picker.get())
+			if (has_picker())
 			{
-				TORRENT_ASSERT(!is_seed());
 				m_picker->inc_refcount(index);
 			}
 #ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
@@ -538,9 +537,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// when we get a bitfield message, this is called for that piece
 		void peer_has(bitfield const& bits)
 		{
-			if (m_picker.get())
+			if (has_picker())
 			{
-				TORRENT_ASSERT(!is_seed());
 				m_picker->inc_refcount(bits);
 			}
 #ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
@@ -553,9 +551,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		void peer_has_all()
 		{
-			if (m_picker.get())
+			if (has_picker())
 			{
-				TORRENT_ASSERT(!is_seed());
 				m_picker->inc_refcount_all();
 			}
 #ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
@@ -568,9 +565,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		void peer_lost(int index)
 		{
-			if (m_picker.get())
+			if (has_picker())
 			{
-				TORRENT_ASSERT(!is_seed());
 				m_picker->dec_refcount(index);
 			}
 #ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG
diff --git a/src/peer_connection.cpp b/src/peer_connection.cpp
index 7317028e8..c01e22b52 100644
--- a/src/peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/peer_connection.cpp
@@ -3316,7 +3316,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			// if we're a seed, we don't have a piece picker
 			// so we don't have to worry about invariants getting
 			// out of sync with it
-			if (t->is_seed()) continue;
+			if (!t->has_picker()) continue;
 
 			// this can happen if a block times out, is re-requested and
 			// then arrives "unexpectedly"
diff --git a/src/torrent.cpp b/src/torrent.cpp
index 18fca1570..aa3bc8c3b 100644
--- a/src/torrent.cpp
+++ b/src/torrent.cpp
@@ -1160,7 +1160,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		int blocks_in_piece = (piece_size + block_size() - 1) / block_size();
 
 		// avoid crash trying to access the picker when there is none
-		if (is_seed()) return;
+		if (!has_picker()) return;
 
 		if (picker().have_piece(piece)
 			&& (flags & torrent::overwrite_existing) == 0)
@@ -1204,8 +1204,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
 
-		if (is_seed()) return;
-
 		if (m_abort)
 		{
 			piece_block block_finished(p.piece, p.start / block_size());
@@ -1220,6 +1218,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			return;
 		}
 
+		if (!has_picker()) return;
+
 		// if we already have this block, just ignore it.
 		// this can happen if the same block is passed in through
 		// add_piece() multiple times
@@ -3733,7 +3733,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
 
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(valid_metadata());
-		if (is_seed())
+		if (!has_picker())
 		{
 			avail.clear();
 			return;
@@ -5137,7 +5137,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		// if this torrent is a seed, we won't have a piece picker
 		// and there will be no half-finished pieces.
-		if (!is_seed())
+		if (has_picker())
 		{
 			const std::vector<piece_picker::downloading_piece>& q
 				= m_picker->get_download_queue();
@@ -5394,7 +5394,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		std::vector<block_info>& blk = m_ses.m_block_info_storage;
 		blk.clear();
 
-		if (!valid_metadata() || is_seed()) return;
+		if (!valid_metadata() || !has_picker()) return;
 		piece_picker const& p = picker();
 		std::vector<piece_picker::downloading_piece> const& q
 			= p.get_download_queue();
@@ -6443,7 +6443,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		{
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(block_size() > 0);
 		}
-//		if (is_seed()) TORRENT_ASSERT(m_picker.get() == 0);
 
 
 		for (std::vector<size_type>::const_iterator i = m_file_progress.begin()