diff --git a/lib/iscsi/conn.c b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
index 8af08fce4..9b5267147 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/conn.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
@@ -377,12 +377,6 @@ _iscsi_conn_free(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn)
 
 	spdk_iscsi_param_free(conn->params);
 
-	/*
-	 * Each connection pre-allocates its next PDU - make sure these get
-	 *  freed here.
-	 */
-	spdk_put_pdu(conn->pdu_in_progress);
-
 	free_conn(conn);
 }
 
@@ -675,6 +669,10 @@ _iscsi_conn_check_pending_tasks(void *arg)
 void
 spdk_iscsi_conn_destruct(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn)
 {
+	struct spdk_iscsi_pdu *pdu;
+	struct spdk_iscsi_task *task;
+	int opcode;
+
 	/* If a connection is already in exited status, just return */
 	if (conn->state >= ISCSI_CONN_STATE_EXITED) {
 		return;
@@ -682,6 +680,32 @@ spdk_iscsi_conn_destruct(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn)
 
 	conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_STATE_EXITED;
 
+	/*
+	 * Each connection pre-allocates its next PDU - make sure these get
+	 *  freed here.
+	 */
+	pdu = conn->pdu_in_progress;
+	if (pdu) {
+		/* remove the task left in the PDU too. */
+		task = pdu->task;
+		if (task) {
+			opcode = pdu->bhs.opcode;
+			switch (opcode) {
+			case ISCSI_OP_SCSI:
+			case ISCSI_OP_SCSI_DATAOUT:
+				spdk_scsi_task_process_abort(&task->scsi);
+				spdk_iscsi_task_cpl(&task->scsi);
+				break;
+			default:
+				SPDK_ERRLOG("unexpected opcode %x\n", opcode);
+				spdk_iscsi_task_put(task);
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		spdk_put_pdu(pdu);
+		conn->pdu_in_progress = NULL;
+	}
+
 	if (conn->sess != NULL && conn->pending_task_cnt > 0) {
 		iscsi_conn_cleanup_backend(conn);
 	}
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
index c23382272..d8305ac37 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
@@ -4970,8 +4970,6 @@ iscsi_read_pdu(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn)
 			}
 			break;
 		case ISCSI_PDU_RECV_STATE_ERROR:
-			spdk_put_pdu(pdu);
-			conn->pdu_in_progress = NULL;
 			return SPDK_ISCSI_CONNECTION_FATAL;
 		default:
 			assert(false);