diff --git a/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_dataset.c b/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_dataset.c
index 4eb953b174a3..358510510708 100644
--- a/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_dataset.c
+++ b/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_dataset.c
@@ -3403,12 +3403,14 @@ int
 zfs_destroy_snaps_nvl(libzfs_handle_t *hdl, nvlist_t *snaps, boolean_t defer)
 {
 	int ret;
-	nvlist_t *errlist;
+	nvlist_t *errlist = NULL;
 
 	ret = lzc_destroy_snaps(snaps, defer, &errlist);
 
-	if (ret == 0)
+	if (ret == 0) {
+		nvlist_free(errlist);
 		return (0);
+	}
 
 	if (nvlist_empty(errlist)) {
 		char errbuf[1024];
@@ -3436,6 +3438,7 @@ zfs_destroy_snaps_nvl(libzfs_handle_t *hdl, nvlist_t *snaps, boolean_t defer)
 		}
 	}
 
+	nvlist_free(errlist);
 	return (ret);
 }