diff --git a/changes/bug21062 b/changes/bug21062
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3297e1e95e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug21062
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Minor bugfixex (config):
+    - Don't assert when trying to get the options list when
+      LearnCircuitBuildTimeout is set to 0 and we are actually currently
+      parsing the options. Fixes #21062; bugfix on tor-0.2.9.3-alpha.
diff --git a/src/or/circuitbuild.c b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
index 55929c1666..d4e30196cc 100644
--- a/src/or/circuitbuild.c
+++ b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ circuit_send_next_onion_skin(origin_circuit_t *circ)
                               "Assuming clock jump. Purpose %d (%s)", timediff,
                      circ->base_.purpose,
                      circuit_purpose_to_string(circ->base_.purpose));
-        } else if (!circuit_build_times_disabled()) {
+        } else if (!circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options())) {
           /* Only count circuit times if the network is live */
           if (circuit_build_times_network_check_live(
               get_circuit_build_times())) {
diff --git a/src/or/circuitstats.c b/src/or/circuitstats.c
index 6cb99e4175..48cb89dc37 100644
--- a/src/or/circuitstats.c
+++ b/src/or/circuitstats.c
@@ -105,12 +105,11 @@ get_circuit_build_timeout_ms(void)
  *  6. If we are configured in Single Onion mode
  */
 int
-circuit_build_times_disabled(void)
+circuit_build_times_disabled(const or_options_t *options)
 {
   if (unit_tests) {
     return 0;
   } else {
-    const or_options_t *options = get_options();
     int consensus_disabled = networkstatus_get_param(NULL, "cbtdisabled",
                                                      0, 0, 1);
     int config_disabled = !options->LearnCircuitBuildTimeout;
@@ -417,7 +416,7 @@ circuit_build_times_new_consensus_params(circuit_build_times_t *cbt,
    * update if we aren't.
    */
 
-  if (!circuit_build_times_disabled()) {
+  if (!circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options())) {
     num = circuit_build_times_recent_circuit_count(ns);
 
     if (num > 0) {
@@ -493,14 +492,15 @@ static double
 circuit_build_times_get_initial_timeout(void)
 {
   double timeout;
+  const or_options_t *options = get_options();
 
   /*
    * Check if we have LearnCircuitBuildTimeout, and if we don't,
    * always use CircuitBuildTimeout, no questions asked.
    */
-  if (!unit_tests && get_options()->CircuitBuildTimeout) {
-    timeout = get_options()->CircuitBuildTimeout*1000;
-    if (!circuit_build_times_disabled() &&
+  if (!unit_tests && options->CircuitBuildTimeout) {
+    timeout = options->CircuitBuildTimeout*1000;
+    if (!circuit_build_times_disabled(options) &&
         timeout < circuit_build_times_min_timeout()) {
       log_warn(LD_CIRC, "Config CircuitBuildTimeout too low. Setting to %ds",
                circuit_build_times_min_timeout()/1000);
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ circuit_build_times_init(circuit_build_times_t *cbt)
    * Check if we really are using adaptive timeouts, and don't keep
    * track of this stuff if not.
    */
-  if (!circuit_build_times_disabled()) {
+  if (!circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options())) {
     cbt->liveness.num_recent_circs =
       circuit_build_times_recent_circuit_count(NULL);
     cbt->liveness.timeouts_after_firsthop =
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ circuit_build_times_parse_state(circuit_build_times_t *cbt,
   int err = 0;
   circuit_build_times_init(cbt);
 
-  if (circuit_build_times_disabled()) {
+  if (circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options())) {
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -1507,7 +1507,7 @@ circuit_build_times_count_close(circuit_build_times_t *cbt,
                                 int did_onehop,
                                 time_t start_time)
 {
-  if (circuit_build_times_disabled()) {
+  if (circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options())) {
     cbt->close_ms = cbt->timeout_ms
                   = circuit_build_times_get_initial_timeout();
     return 0;
@@ -1538,7 +1538,7 @@ void
 circuit_build_times_count_timeout(circuit_build_times_t *cbt,
                                   int did_onehop)
 {
-  if (circuit_build_times_disabled()) {
+  if (circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options())) {
     cbt->close_ms = cbt->timeout_ms
                   = circuit_build_times_get_initial_timeout();
     return;
@@ -1612,7 +1612,7 @@ circuit_build_times_set_timeout(circuit_build_times_t *cbt)
   /*
    * Just return if we aren't using adaptive timeouts
    */
-  if (circuit_build_times_disabled())
+  if (circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options()))
     return;
 
   if (!circuit_build_times_set_timeout_worker(cbt))
diff --git a/src/or/circuitstats.h b/src/or/circuitstats.h
index 72b160983f..23910276ae 100644
--- a/src/or/circuitstats.h
+++ b/src/or/circuitstats.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ circuit_build_times_t *get_circuit_build_times_mutable(void);
 double get_circuit_build_close_time_ms(void);
 double get_circuit_build_timeout_ms(void);
 
-int circuit_build_times_disabled(void);
+int circuit_build_times_disabled(const or_options_t *options);
 int circuit_build_times_enough_to_compute(const circuit_build_times_t *cbt);
 void circuit_build_times_update_state(const circuit_build_times_t *cbt,
                                       or_state_t *state);
diff --git a/src/or/circuituse.c b/src/or/circuituse.c
index ecd35af9dd..72293f577e 100644
--- a/src/or/circuituse.c
+++ b/src/or/circuituse.c
@@ -1140,7 +1140,7 @@ needs_circuits_for_build(int num)
 {
   if (router_have_consensus_path() != CONSENSUS_PATH_UNKNOWN) {
     if (num < CBT_MAX_UNUSED_OPEN_CIRCUITS &&
-        !circuit_build_times_disabled() &&
+        !circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options()) &&
         circuit_build_times_needs_circuits_now(get_circuit_build_times())) {
       return 1;
     }
@@ -1400,7 +1400,7 @@ circuit_expire_old_circuits_clientside(void)
   cutoff = now;
   last_expired_clientside_circuits = now.tv_sec;
 
-  if (! circuit_build_times_disabled() &&
+  if (! circuit_build_times_disabled(get_options()) &&
       circuit_build_times_needs_circuits(get_circuit_build_times())) {
     /* Circuits should be shorter lived if we need more of them
      * for learning a good build timeout */
diff --git a/src/or/config.c b/src/or/config.c
index 2584fe6dba..f885cbca3b 100644
--- a/src/or/config.c
+++ b/src/or/config.c
@@ -3545,7 +3545,7 @@ options_validate(or_options_t *old_options, or_options_t *options,
     int severity = LOG_NOTICE;
     /* Be a little quieter if we've deliberately disabled
      * LearnCircuitBuildTimeout. */
-    if (circuit_build_times_disabled()) {
+    if (circuit_build_times_disabled(options)) {
       severity = LOG_INFO;
     }
     log_fn(severity, LD_CONFIG, "You disabled LearnCircuitBuildTimeout, but "