diff --git a/block/nbd.c b/block/nbd.c
index 1b832c2132b681d68c03ba530adfca3b50d99814..3150712f0c9e9b0cf80300cf32cd8ce9a341e3d2 100644
--- a/block/nbd.c
+++ b/block/nbd.c
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ static QIOChannelSocket *nbd_establish_connection(SocketAddress *saddr,
                                     saddr,
                                     &local_err);
     if (local_err) {
+        object_unref(OBJECT(sioc));
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         return NULL;
     }