diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.c b/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.c
index c4b3417a5dac47ec43944262b2518c1ef636a638..3ce8e2fbe15fc3d84fb6be6cf8b73cdcc195ac2c 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.c
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.c
@@ -605,8 +605,10 @@ fw_send_response(struct fw_card *card, struct fw_request *request, int rcode)
 	 * check is sufficient to ensure we don't send response to
 	 * broadcast packets or posted writes.
 	 */
-	if (request->ack != ACK_PENDING)
+	if (request->ack != ACK_PENDING) {
+		kfree(request);
 		return;
+	}
 
 	if (rcode == RCODE_COMPLETE)
 		fw_fill_response(&request->response, request->request_header,
diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h b/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h
index 5abed193f4a65deb8c6ab3f27355a03a9d3092e8..5ceaccd10564cbfd7623757ba351e8490d542fe7 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ typedef void (*fw_transaction_callback_t)(struct fw_card *card, int rcode,
 					  size_t length,
 					  void *callback_data);
 
+/*
+ * Important note:  The callback must guarantee that either fw_send_response()
+ * or kfree() is called on the @request.
+ */
 typedef void (*fw_address_callback_t)(struct fw_card *card,
 				      struct fw_request *request,
 				      int tcode, int destination, int source,