diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 2fdab705e..9a4837a2d 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -3362,7 +3362,9 @@ nvme_ctrlr_cleanup_process(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process *proc)
 		STAILQ_REMOVE(&proc->active_reqs, req, nvme_request, stailq);
 
 		assert(req->pid == proc->pid);
-
+		if (req->user_buffer && req->payload_size) {
+			spdk_free(req->payload.contig_or_cb_arg);
+		}
 		nvme_free_request(req);
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_common.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_common.c
index c75155c2c..000636d51 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_common.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_common.c
@@ -291,7 +291,9 @@ nvme_pcie_qpair_insert_pending_admin_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 	} else {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("The owning process (pid %d) is not found. Dropping the request.\n",
 			    active_req->pid);
-
+		if (active_req->user_buffer && active_req->payload_size) {
+			spdk_free(active_req->payload.contig_or_cb_arg);
+		}
 		nvme_free_request(active_req);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index 68de0284f..43e8a40c0 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -1049,6 +1049,10 @@ error:
 		return rc;
 	}
 
+	if (req->user_buffer && req->payload_size) {
+		spdk_free(req->payload.contig_or_cb_arg);
+	}
+
 	nvme_free_request(req);
 
 	return rc;