diff --git a/src/java.base/unix/native/libjava/ProcessImpl_md.c b/src/java.base/unix/native/libjava/ProcessImpl_md.c
index 04a1e5cf6b5ed..9ed0ed30959a6 100644
--- a/src/java.base/unix/native/libjava/ProcessImpl_md.c
+++ b/src/java.base/unix/native/libjava/ProcessImpl_md.c
@@ -562,6 +562,7 @@ spawnChild(JNIEnv *env, jobject process, ChildStuff *c, const char *helperpath)
 
     /* write the two structs and the data buffer */
     if (writeFully(c->childenv[1], (char *)&magic, sizeof(magic)) != sizeof(magic)) { // magic number first
+        free(buf);
         return -1;
     }
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -570,6 +571,7 @@ spawnChild(JNIEnv *env, jobject process, ChildStuff *c, const char *helperpath)
     if (writeFully(c->childenv[1], (char *)c, sizeof(*c)) != sizeof(*c) ||
         writeFully(c->childenv[1], (char *)&sp, sizeof(sp)) != sizeof(sp) ||
         writeFully(c->childenv[1], buf, bufsize) != bufsize) {
+        free(buf);
         return -1;
     }
     /* We're done. Let jspwanhelper know he can't expect any more data from us. */