Index: src/func.c
==================================================================
--- src/func.c
+++ src/func.c
@@ -841,12 +841,10 @@
 #endif
     sqlite3_result_int(context, 0);
     return;
   }
 #endif
-  zB = sqlite3_value_text(argv[0]);
-  zA = sqlite3_value_text(argv[1]);
 
   /* Limit the length of the LIKE or GLOB pattern to avoid problems
   ** of deep recursion and N*N behavior in patternCompare().
   */
   nPat = sqlite3_value_bytes(argv[0]);
@@ -854,12 +852,10 @@
   testcase( nPat==db->aLimit[SQLITE_LIMIT_LIKE_PATTERN_LENGTH]+1 );
   if( nPat > db->aLimit[SQLITE_LIMIT_LIKE_PATTERN_LENGTH] ){
     sqlite3_result_error(context, "LIKE or GLOB pattern too complex", -1);
     return;
   }
-  assert( zB==sqlite3_value_text(argv[0]) );  /* Encoding did not change */
-
   if( argc==3 ){
     /* The escape character string must consist of a single UTF-8 character.
     ** Otherwise, return an error.
     */
     const unsigned char *zEsc = sqlite3_value_text(argv[2]);
@@ -871,10 +867,12 @@
     }
     escape = sqlite3Utf8Read(&zEsc);
   }else{
     escape = pInfo->matchSet;
   }
+  zB = sqlite3_value_text(argv[0]);
+  zA = sqlite3_value_text(argv[1]);
   if( zA && zB ){
 #ifdef SQLITE_TEST
     sqlite3_like_count++;
 #endif
     sqlite3_result_int(context,