diff --git a/src/llama-kv-cache-unified-iswa.cpp b/src/llama-kv-cache-unified-iswa.cpp
index b9169299c..d1f839b63 100644
--- a/src/llama-kv-cache-unified-iswa.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-kv-cache-unified-iswa.cpp
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ bool llama_kv_cache_unified_iswa_context::next() {
 }
 
 bool llama_kv_cache_unified_iswa_context::apply() {
-    assert(status == LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_SUCCESS);
+    assert(!llama_memory_status_is_fail(status));
 
     bool res = true;
 
diff --git a/src/llama-kv-cache-unified.cpp b/src/llama-kv-cache-unified.cpp
index 8517b722a..7f7b162ff 100644
--- a/src/llama-kv-cache-unified.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-kv-cache-unified.cpp
@@ -1776,7 +1776,7 @@ bool llama_kv_cache_unified_context::next() {
 }
 
 bool llama_kv_cache_unified_context::apply() {
-    assert(status == LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_SUCCESS);
+    assert(!llama_memory_status_is_fail(status));
 
     // no ubatches -> this is a KV cache update
     if (ubatches.empty()) {
diff --git a/src/llama-memory-hybrid.cpp b/src/llama-memory-hybrid.cpp
index 15cde98d1..67cbf9554 100644
--- a/src/llama-memory-hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-memory-hybrid.cpp
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ bool llama_memory_hybrid_context::next() {
 }
 
 bool llama_memory_hybrid_context::apply() {
-    assert(status == LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_SUCCESS);
+    assert(!llama_memory_status_is_fail(status));
 
     bool res = true;
 
diff --git a/src/llama-memory-recurrent.cpp b/src/llama-memory-recurrent.cpp
index e52156bf3..6ed84057c 100644
--- a/src/llama-memory-recurrent.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-memory-recurrent.cpp
@@ -1071,7 +1071,15 @@ bool llama_memory_recurrent_context::next() {
 }
 
 bool llama_memory_recurrent_context::apply() {
-    assert(status == LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_SUCCESS);
+    assert(!llama_memory_status_is_fail(status));
+
+    // no ubatches -> this is an update
+    if (ubatches.empty()) {
+        // recurrent cache never performs updates
+        assert(status == LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_NO_UPDATE);
+
+        return true;
+    }
 
     mem->find_slot(ubatches[i_next]);
 
diff --git a/src/llama-memory.cpp b/src/llama-memory.cpp
index f1107672c..ca6844c32 100644
--- a/src/llama-memory.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-memory.cpp
@@ -40,3 +40,20 @@ llama_memory_status llama_memory_status_combine(llama_memory_status s0, llama_me
     // if either status has an update, then the combined status has an update
     return has_update ? LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_SUCCESS : LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_NO_UPDATE;
 }
+
+bool llama_memory_status_is_fail(llama_memory_status status) {
+    switch (status) {
+        case LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_SUCCESS:
+        case LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_NO_UPDATE:
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        case LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_FAILED_PREPARE:
+        case LLAMA_MEMORY_STATUS_FAILED_COMPUTE:
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
diff --git a/src/llama-memory.h b/src/llama-memory.h
index 16b7e5ee2..e8ba336e8 100644
--- a/src/llama-memory.h
+++ b/src/llama-memory.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ enum llama_memory_status {
 // useful for implementing hybrid memory types (e.g. iSWA)
 llama_memory_status llama_memory_status_combine(llama_memory_status s0, llama_memory_status s1);
 
+// helper function for checking if a memory status indicates a failure
+bool llama_memory_status_is_fail(llama_memory_status status);
+
 // the interface for managing the memory context during batch processing
 // this interface is implemented per memory type. see:
 //   - llama_kv_cache_unified_context