Index: src/btree.c
==================================================================
--- src/btree.c
+++ src/btree.c
@@ -4817,11 +4817,11 @@
       if( rc ){
         pTrunk = 0;
         goto end_allocate_page;
       }
 
-      k = get4byte(&pTrunk->aData[4]);
+      k = get4byte(&pTrunk->aData[4]); /* # of leaves on this trunk page */
       if( k==0 && !searchList ){
         /* The trunk has no leaves and the list is not being searched. 
         ** So extract the trunk page itself and use it as the newly 
         ** allocated page */
         assert( pPrevTrunk==0 );
@@ -4902,14 +4902,10 @@
       }else if( k>0 ){
         /* Extract a leaf from the trunk */
         u32 closest;
         Pgno iPage;
         unsigned char *aData = pTrunk->aData;
-        rc = sqlite3PagerWrite(pTrunk->pDbPage);
-        if( rc ){
-          goto end_allocate_page;
-        }
         if( nearby>0 ){
           u32 i;
           int dist;
           closest = 0;
           dist = sqlite3AbsInt32(get4byte(&aData[8]) - nearby);
@@ -4935,15 +4931,16 @@
           int noContent;
           *pPgno = iPage;
           TRACE(("ALLOCATE: %d was leaf %d of %d on trunk %d"
                  ": %d more free pages\n",
                  *pPgno, closest+1, k, pTrunk->pgno, n-1));
+          rc = sqlite3PagerWrite(pTrunk->pDbPage);
+          if( rc ) goto end_allocate_page;
           if( closest<k-1 ){
             memcpy(&aData[8+closest*4], &aData[4+k*4], 4);
           }
           put4byte(&aData[4], k-1);
-          assert( sqlite3PagerIswriteable(pTrunk->pDbPage) );
           noContent = !btreeGetHasContent(pBt, *pPgno);
           rc = btreeGetPage(pBt, *pPgno, ppPage, noContent);
           if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
             rc = sqlite3PagerWrite((*ppPage)->pDbPage);
             if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ){
@@ -5008,10 +5005,11 @@
     }
     (*ppPage)->isInit = 0;
   }else{
     *ppPage = 0;
   }
+  assert( rc!=SQLITE_OK || sqlite3PagerIswriteable((*ppPage)->pDbPage) );
   return rc;
 }
 
 /*
 ** This function is used to add page iPage to the database file free-list.