diff --git a/python_modules/dagster/dagster/_core/execution/context/compute.py b/python_modules/dagster/dagster/_core/execution/context/compute.py
index 9ff18dbabea1f..78656a59f6dcd 100644
--- a/python_modules/dagster/dagster/_core/execution/context/compute.py
+++ b/python_modules/dagster/dagster/_core/execution/context/compute.py
@@ -1463,10 +1463,9 @@ def __init__(self, op_execution_context: OpExecutionContext) -> None:
 
         self._run_props = None
 
-        self._execution_props = ExecutionProperties(
-            step_description=f"asset {self.assets_def.node_def.name}",
-            op_execution_context=self._op_execution_context,
-        )
+        # start execution_props as None since enter_execution_context builds an AssetExecutionContext
+        # for all steps (including ops) and ops will fail on self.assets_def call
+        self._execution_props = None
 
     @staticmethod
     def get() -> "AssetExecutionContext":
@@ -1492,6 +1491,11 @@ def run_properties(self) -> RunProperties:
 
     @property
     def execution_properties(self) -> ExecutionProperties:
+        if self._execution_props is None:
+            self._execution_props = ExecutionProperties(
+                step_description=f"asset {self.assets_def.node_def.name}",
+                op_execution_context=self._op_execution_context,
+            )
         return self._execution_props
 
     ######## Deprecated methods