diff --git a/third_party/blink/renderer/core/exported/web_view_impl.cc b/third_party/blink/renderer/core/exported/web_view_impl.cc
index 066406e37b41c..4d3d24332374b 100644
--- a/third_party/blink/renderer/core/exported/web_view_impl.cc
+++ b/third_party/blink/renderer/core/exported/web_view_impl.cc
@@ -1061,7 +1061,13 @@ WebPagePopupImpl* WebViewImpl::OpenPagePopup(PagePopupClient* client) {
 
   // This guarantees there is never more than 1 PagePopup active at a time.
   CancelPagePopup();
-  DCHECK(!page_popup_);
+  // CancelPagePopup() can synchronously run author script (e.g. via
+  // HTMLSelectElement::PopupDidCancel -> change event), which may re-enter
+  // OpenPagePopup() and set |page_popup_|. The single-popup invariant is
+  // load-bearing for ClosePagePopup()/CleanupPagePopup() lifetime management,
+  // so enforce it in release builds to avoid an orphaned WebPagePopupImpl
+  // being freed while a PagePopupClient still holds a bare PagePopup* to it.
+  CHECK(!page_popup_);
 
   LocalFrame* opener_frame = client->OwnerElement().GetDocument().GetFrame();
   WebLocalFrameImpl* web_opener_frame =