diff --git a/app/spdk_top/spdk_top.c b/app/spdk_top/spdk_top.c
index 7570a9eb1..c8654c8b0 100644
--- a/app/spdk_top/spdk_top.c
+++ b/app/spdk_top/spdk_top.c
@@ -545,6 +545,7 @@ rpc_send_req(char *rpc_name, struct spdk_jsonrpc_client_response **resp)
 
 	/* Check for error response */
 	if (json_resp->error != NULL) {
+		spdk_jsonrpc_client_free_response(json_resp);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -2733,8 +2734,6 @@ wait_init(pthread_t *data_thread)
 	print_in_middle(stdscr, FIRST_DATA_ROW, 1, max_col, uninit_log, COLOR_PAIR(5));
 	rc = rpc_send_req("framework_wait_init", &json_resp);
 	if (rc) {
-		spdk_jsonrpc_client_free_response(json_resp);
-
 		while (1) {
 			print_in_middle(stdscr, FIRST_DATA_ROW, 1, max_col, uninit_error, COLOR_PAIR(8));
 			c = getch();
@@ -2762,9 +2761,12 @@ wait_init(pthread_t *data_thread)
 	}
 
 	if (rpc_decode_tick_rate(json_resp->result, &tick_rate)) {
+		spdk_jsonrpc_client_free_response(json_resp);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	spdk_jsonrpc_client_free_response(json_resp);
+
 	g_tick_rate = tick_rate;
 
 	/* This is to get first batch of data for display functions.