diff -ruw a/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.cc b/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.cc
--- a/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.cc	2015-01-15 05:15:23.000000000 +1100
+++ b/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.cc	2015-02-18 14:37:03.000000000 +1100
@@ -2291,20 +2291,20 @@
   }
 }
 
-ReplicatedPG::RepGather *ReplicatedPG::trim_object(const hobject_t &coid)
+int ReplicatedPG::trim_object(const hobject_t &coid, ReplicatedPG::RepGather** repgather)
 {
   // load clone info
   bufferlist bl;
   ObjectContextRef obc = get_object_context(coid, false, NULL);
   if (!obc) {
     derr << __func__ << "could not find coid " << coid << dendl;
-    assert(0);
+    return -ENOENT;
   }
   assert(obc->ssc);
 
   if (!obc->get_snaptrimmer_write()) {
     dout(10) << __func__ << ": Unable to get a wlock on " << coid << dendl;
-    return NULL;
+    return -EWOULDBLOCK;
   }
 
   hobject_t snapoid(
@@ -2321,7 +2321,7 @@
     obc->put_write(&to_wake, &requeue_recovery, &requeue_snaptrimmer);
     assert(to_wake.empty());
     assert(!requeue_recovery);
-    return NULL;
+    return -EWOULDBLOCK;
   }
 
   object_info_t &coi = obc->obs.oi;
@@ -2524,7 +2524,8 @@
     }
   }
 
-  return repop;
+  *repgather = repop;
+  return 0;
 }
 
 void ReplicatedPG::snap_trimmer()
@@ -12084,8 +12085,14 @@
     }
 
     dout(10) << "TrimmingObjects react trimming " << pos << dendl;
-    RepGather *repop = pg->trim_object(pos);
-    if (!repop) {
+    RepGather *repop = NULL;
+    r = pg->trim_object(pos, &repop);
+    if (r == -ENOENT) {
+      pg->osd->clog.error() << "TrimmingObjects cannot find snap, dropping from snaptrimq: " << pos << "\n"; 
+      post_event(SnapTrim());
+      return transit< WaitingOnReplicas >();
+    }
+    if (r == -EWOULDBLOCK) {
       dout(10) << __func__ << " could not get write lock on obj "
 	       << pos << dendl;
       pos = old_pos;
diff -ruw a/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.h b/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.h
--- a/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.h	2015-01-15 05:15:23.000000000 +1100
+++ b/src/osd/ReplicatedPG.h	2015-02-18 14:37:03.000000000 +1100
@@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@
     ThreadPool::TPHandle &handle);
   void do_backfill(OpRequestRef op);
 
-  RepGather *trim_object(const hobject_t &coid);
+  int trim_object(const hobject_t &coid, RepGather** repgather);
   void snap_trimmer();
   int do_osd_ops(OpContext *ctx, vector<OSDOp>& ops);