diff --git a/include/exec/memory.h b/include/exec/memory.h
index c99842d2fc..cf7c7dde91 100644
--- a/include/exec/memory.h
+++ b/include/exec/memory.h
@@ -599,8 +599,9 @@ typedef void (*ReplayRamDiscard)(MemoryRegionSection *section, void *opaque);
  * populated (consuming memory), to be used/accessed by the VM.
  *
  * A #RamDiscardManager can only be set for a RAM #MemoryRegion while the
- * #MemoryRegion isn't mapped yet; it cannot change while the #MemoryRegion is
- * mapped.
+ * #MemoryRegion isn't mapped into an address space yet (either directly
+ * or via an alias); it cannot change while the #MemoryRegion is
+ * mapped into an address space.
  *
  * The #RamDiscardManager is intended to be used by technologies that are
  * incompatible with discarding of RAM (e.g., VFIO, which may pin all
diff --git a/system/memory.c b/system/memory.c
index fa1c99f9ba..e11bce5991 100644
--- a/system/memory.c
+++ b/system/memory.c
@@ -2085,7 +2085,7 @@ int memory_region_iommu_num_indexes(IOMMUMemoryRegion *iommu_mr)
 
 RamDiscardManager *memory_region_get_ram_discard_manager(MemoryRegion *mr)
 {
-    if (!memory_region_is_mapped(mr) || !memory_region_is_ram(mr)) {
+    if (!memory_region_is_ram(mr)) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return mr->rdm;
@@ -2094,7 +2094,7 @@ RamDiscardManager *memory_region_get_ram_discard_manager(MemoryRegion *mr)
 void memory_region_set_ram_discard_manager(MemoryRegion *mr,
                                            RamDiscardManager *rdm)
 {
-    g_assert(memory_region_is_ram(mr) && !memory_region_is_mapped(mr));
+    g_assert(memory_region_is_ram(mr));
     g_assert(!rdm || !mr->rdm);
     mr->rdm = rdm;
 }