diff --git a/src/box/vy_scheduler.c b/src/box/vy_scheduler.c
index 4813f6f423951a90e64389ad0e0961a4a9c545ba..5752ae91d0a09debd36f55a6929d81033639e5d5 100644
--- a/src/box/vy_scheduler.c
+++ b/src/box/vy_scheduler.c
@@ -274,11 +274,10 @@ vy_compact_heap_less(struct heap_node *a, struct heap_node *b)
 static void
 vy_scheduler_start_workers(struct vy_scheduler *scheduler)
 {
-	assert(!scheduler->is_worker_pool_running);
+	assert(scheduler->worker_pool == NULL);
 	/* One thread is reserved for dumps, see vy_schedule(). */
 	assert(scheduler->worker_pool_size >= 2);
 
-	scheduler->is_worker_pool_running = true;
 	scheduler->idle_worker_count = scheduler->worker_pool_size;
 	scheduler->worker_pool = calloc(scheduler->worker_pool_size,
 					sizeof(*scheduler->worker_pool));
@@ -300,9 +299,7 @@ vy_scheduler_start_workers(struct vy_scheduler *scheduler)
 static void
 vy_scheduler_stop_workers(struct vy_scheduler *scheduler)
 {
-	assert(scheduler->is_worker_pool_running);
-	scheduler->is_worker_pool_running = false;
-
+	assert(scheduler->worker_pool != NULL);
 	for (int i = 0; i < scheduler->worker_pool_size; i++) {
 		struct vy_worker *worker = &scheduler->worker_pool[i];
 		cbus_stop_loop(&worker->worker_pipe);
@@ -355,7 +352,7 @@ vy_scheduler_destroy(struct vy_scheduler *scheduler)
 	fiber_cond_signal(&scheduler->dump_cond);
 	fiber_cond_signal(&scheduler->scheduler_cond);
 
-	if (scheduler->is_worker_pool_running)
+	if (scheduler->worker_pool != NULL)
 		vy_scheduler_stop_workers(scheduler);
 
 	diag_destroy(&scheduler->diag);
diff --git a/src/box/vy_scheduler.h b/src/box/vy_scheduler.h
index a235aa6f122ea52f74d5354387ded49158a5d223..deefacd7c10511866cb8494fb0874ffabc8b73c6 100644
--- a/src/box/vy_scheduler.h
+++ b/src/box/vy_scheduler.h
@@ -67,8 +67,6 @@ struct vy_scheduler {
 	 * dump/compaction tasks.
 	 */
 	struct vy_worker *worker_pool;
-	/** Set if the worker threads are running. */
-	bool is_worker_pool_running;
 	/** Total number of worker threads. */
 	int worker_pool_size;
 	/** Number worker threads that are currently idle. */