diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c
index 1701d628d1..d41133c1ce 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c
@@ -3713,6 +3713,7 @@ ebiptablesDriverProbeStateMatch(void)
 {
     unsigned long version;
     virFirewallPtr fw = virFirewallNew();
+    int ret = -1;
 
     virFirewallStartTransaction(fw, 0);
     virFirewallAddRuleFull(fw, VIR_FIREWALL_LAYER_IPV4,
@@ -3720,7 +3721,7 @@ ebiptablesDriverProbeStateMatch(void)
                            "--version", NULL);
 
     if (virFirewallApply(fw) < 0)
-        return -1;
+        goto cleanup;
 
     /*
      * since version 1.4.16 '-m state --state ...' will be converted to
@@ -3729,7 +3730,10 @@ ebiptablesDriverProbeStateMatch(void)
     if (version >= 1 * 1000000 + 4 * 1000 + 16)
         newMatchState = true;
 
-    return 0;
+    ret = 0;
+ cleanup:
+    virFirewallFree(fw);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static int