diff --git a/src/babel/traversal/path/replacement.js b/src/babel/traversal/path/replacement.js
index 3f425b891e..e86a117392 100644
--- a/src/babel/traversal/path/replacement.js
+++ b/src/babel/traversal/path/replacement.js
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ export function replaceWith(replacement, whateverAllowed) {
     return;
   }
 
+  if (this.isProgram() && !t.isProgram(replacement)) {
+    throw new Error("You can only replace a Program root node with another Program node");
+  }
+
   // normalise inserting an entire AST
   if (t.isProgram(replacement) && !this.isProgram()) {
     replacement = replacement.body;
     whateverAllowed = true;
-  } else {
-    if (this.isProgram()) {
-      throw new Error("You can only replace a Program root node with another Program node");
-    }
   }
 
   if (Array.isArray(replacement)) {