diff --git a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
index 74044b52d2c6..97d3c9d4ebc7 100644
--- a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
+++ b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
@@ -2930,12 +2930,16 @@ static void deliver_smi_err_response(ipmi_smi_t intf,
 				     struct ipmi_smi_msg *msg,
 				     unsigned char err)
 {
+	int rv;
 	msg->rsp[0] = msg->data[0] | 4;
 	msg->rsp[1] = msg->data[1];
 	msg->rsp[2] = err;
 	msg->rsp_size = 3;
-	/* It's an error, so it will never requeue, no need to check return. */
-	handle_one_recv_msg(intf, msg);
+
+	/* This will never requeue, but it may ask us to free the message. */
+	rv = handle_one_recv_msg(intf, msg);
+	if (rv == 0)
+		ipmi_free_smi_msg(msg);
 }
 
 static void cleanup_smi_msgs(ipmi_smi_t intf)