diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/holders/insert_context_holder.h b/src/vt/vrt/collection/holders/insert_context_holder.h
index 2db348f61a..530eccbb73 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/holders/insert_context_holder.h
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/holders/insert_context_holder.h
@@ -65,15 +65,17 @@ struct InsertContextHolder {
   }
 
   static IndexT* index() {
-    vtAssertExpr(ctx_idx != nullptr);
     return ctx_idx;
   }
 
   static VirtualProxyType proxy() {
-    vtAssertExpr(ctx_proxy != no_vrt_proxy);
     return ctx_proxy;
   }
 
+  static bool hasContext() {
+    return ctx_idx != nullptr and ctx_proxy != no_vrt_proxy;
+  }
+
 private:
   static IndexT* ctx_idx;
   static VirtualProxyType ctx_proxy;
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.h b/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.h
index df9fd45d50..f70fc2fd1e 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.h
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.h
@@ -266,6 +266,8 @@ struct CollectionManager {
   static IndexT* queryIndexContext();
   template <typename IndexT>
   static VirtualProxyType queryProxyContext();
+  template <typename IndexT>
+  static bool hasContext();
 
   // Async reduce for new collection construction coordination wrt meta-datt
   template <typename ColT>
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.impl.h b/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.impl.h
index e366b2d981..55251262a8 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.impl.h
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/manager.impl.h
@@ -1971,17 +1971,19 @@ template <typename ColT, typename ParamT, typename... Args>
 template <typename IndexT>
 /*static*/ IndexT* CollectionManager::queryIndexContext() {
   using IdxContextHolder = InsertContextHolder<IndexT>;
-  auto const idx = IdxContextHolder::index();
-  vtAssertExpr(idx != nullptr);
-  return idx;
+  return IdxContextHolder::index();
 }
 
 template <typename IndexT>
 /*static*/ VirtualProxyType CollectionManager::queryProxyContext() {
   using IdxContextHolder = InsertContextHolder<IndexT>;
-  auto const proxy = IdxContextHolder::proxy();
-  vtAssertExpr(proxy != no_vrt_proxy);
-  return proxy;
+  return IdxContextHolder::proxy();
+}
+
+template <typename IndexT>
+/*static*/ bool CollectionManager::hasContext() {
+  using IdxContextHolder = InsertContextHolder<IndexT>;
+  return IdxContextHolder::hasContext();
 }
 
 template <typename ColT, typename... Args>