diff --git a/net/batman-adv/fragmentation.c b/net/batman-adv/fragmentation.c
index bcc4bea632fa69ead6567e016f2f265840f7968b..f14e54a0569178e8b423b4921c4b610e4c63039c 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/fragmentation.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/fragmentation.c
@@ -418,12 +418,13 @@ bool batadv_frag_send_packet(struct sk_buff *skb,
 			     struct batadv_neigh_node *neigh_node)
 {
 	struct batadv_priv *bat_priv;
-	struct batadv_hard_iface *primary_if;
+	struct batadv_hard_iface *primary_if = NULL;
 	struct batadv_frag_packet frag_header;
 	struct sk_buff *skb_fragment;
 	unsigned mtu = neigh_node->if_incoming->net_dev->mtu;
 	unsigned header_size = sizeof(frag_header);
 	unsigned max_fragment_size, max_packet_size;
+	bool ret = false;
 
 	/* To avoid merge and refragmentation at next-hops we never send
 	 * fragments larger than BATADV_FRAG_MAX_FRAG_SIZE
@@ -483,7 +484,11 @@ bool batadv_frag_send_packet(struct sk_buff *skb,
 			   skb->len + ETH_HLEN);
 	batadv_send_skb_packet(skb, neigh_node->if_incoming, neigh_node->addr);
 
-	return true;
+	ret = true;
+
 out_err:
-	return false;
+	if (primary_if)
+		batadv_hardif_free_ref(primary_if);
+
+	return ret;
 }