diff --git a/src/page-queue.c b/src/page-queue.c
index b2687c92..ea213019 100644
--- a/src/page-queue.c
+++ b/src/page-queue.c
@@ -339,8 +339,10 @@ size_t _mi_page_queue_append(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* pq, mi_page_queue
   // set append pages to new heap and count
   size_t count = 0;
   for (mi_page_t* page = append->first; page != NULL; page = page->next) {
-    mi_page_set_heap(page,heap);
-    // set it to delayed free (not overriding NEVER_DELAYED_FREE) which has as a
+    // inline `mi_page_set_heap` to avoid wrong assertion during absorption;
+    // in this case it is ok to be delayed freeing since both "to" and "from" heap are still alive.
+    mi_atomic_write(&page->xheap, (uintptr_t)heap); 
+    // set the flag to delayed free (not overriding NEVER_DELAYED_FREE) which has as a
     // side effect that it spins until any DELAYED_FREEING is finished. This ensures
     // that after appending only the new heap will be used for delayed free operations.
     _mi_page_use_delayed_free(page, MI_USE_DELAYED_FREE, false);