diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/widget_inspector.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/widget_inspector.dart
index 4bc574f6d5..a877dcea85 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/widget_inspector.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/widget_inspector.dart
@@ -2860,7 +2860,7 @@ Iterable<DiagnosticsNode> _describeRelevantUserCode(Element element) {
   bool processElement(Element target) {
     // TODO(chunhtai): should print out all the widgets that are about to cross
     // package boundaries.
-    if (_isLocalCreationLocation(target)) {
+    if (debugIsLocalCreationLocation(target)) {
       nodes.add(
         DiagnosticsBlock(
           name: 'The relevant error-causing widget was',
@@ -2881,15 +2881,22 @@ Iterable<DiagnosticsNode> _describeRelevantUserCode(Element element) {
 
 /// Returns if an object is user created.
 ///
+/// This always returns false if it is not called in debug mode.
+///
 /// {@macro widgets.inspector.trackCreation}
 ///
 /// Currently is local creation locations are only available for
 /// [Widget] and [Element].
-bool _isLocalCreationLocation(Object object) {
-  final _Location location = _getCreationLocation(object);
-  if (location == null)
-    return false;
-  return WidgetInspectorService.instance._isLocalCreationLocation(location);
+bool debugIsLocalCreationLocation(Object object) {
+  bool isLocal = false;
+  assert(() {
+    final _Location location = _getCreationLocation(object);
+    if (location == null)
+      isLocal =  false;
+    isLocal = WidgetInspectorService.instance._isLocalCreationLocation(location);
+    return true;
+  }());
+  return isLocal;
 }
 
 /// Returns the creation location of an object in String format if one is available.
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/widget_inspector_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/widget_inspector_test.dart
index 1d652b2834..6f13f8f710 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/widget_inspector_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/widget_inspector_test.dart
@@ -2748,6 +2748,35 @@ class _TestWidgetInspectorService extends TestWidgetInspectorService {
         );
       expect(node.toJsonMap(emptyDelegate), node.toJsonMap(defaultDelegate));
     });
+
+    testWidgets('debugIsLocalCreationLocation test', (WidgetTester tester) async {
+
+      final GlobalKey key = GlobalKey();
+
+      await tester.pumpWidget(
+        Directionality(
+          textDirection: TextDirection.ltr,
+          child: Container(
+            padding: const EdgeInsets.all(8),
+            child: Text('target', key: key, textDirection: TextDirection.ltr),
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+
+      final Element element = key.currentContext as Element;
+
+      expect(debugIsLocalCreationLocation(element), isTrue);
+      expect(debugIsLocalCreationLocation(element.widget), isTrue);
+
+      // Padding is inside container
+      final Finder paddingFinder = find.byType(Padding);
+
+      final Element paddingElement = paddingFinder.evaluate().first;
+
+      expect(debugIsLocalCreationLocation(paddingElement), isFalse);
+      expect(debugIsLocalCreationLocation(paddingElement.widget), isFalse);
+    }, skip: !WidgetInspectorService.instance.isWidgetCreationTracked()); // Test requires --track-widget-creation flag.
+
   }
 }