diff --git a/client/main.c b/client/main.c
index 35c1ccbf0..015957617 100644
--- a/client/main.c
+++ b/client/main.c
@@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ do_lease(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 		opt_address = argv[optind++];
 
-		if (ni_sockaddr_prefix_parse(opt_address, &local_addr, &prefixlen) < 0) {
+		if (!ni_sockaddr_prefix_parse(opt_address, &local_addr, &prefixlen)) {
 			ni_error("cannot parse interface address \"%s\"", opt_address);
 			goto failed;
 		}
@@ -1205,7 +1205,7 @@ do_lease(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 		opt_route = argv[optind++];
 
-		if (ni_sockaddr_prefix_parse(opt_route, &dest_addr, &prefixlen) < 0) {
+		if (!ni_sockaddr_prefix_parse(opt_route, &dest_addr, &prefixlen)) {
 			ni_error("cannot parse route destination \"%s\"", opt_route);
 			goto failed;
 		}
diff --git a/dhcp4/fsm.c b/dhcp4/fsm.c
index c809e7efa..5ef46e7ca 100644
--- a/dhcp4/fsm.c
+++ b/dhcp4/fsm.c
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ ni_dhcp4_defer_timeout(void *user_data, const ni_timer_t *timer)
 		ni_warn("%s: bad timer handle", __func__);
 		return;
 	}
-	ni_note("%s: DHCLIENT_WAIT_AT_BOOT=%u reached (state %s)", dev->ifname, dev->config->defer_timeout, ni_dhcp4_fsm_state_name(dev->fsm.state));
+	ni_note("%s: defer timeout %u reached (state %s)",
+		dev->ifname, dev->config->defer_timeout,
+		ni_dhcp4_fsm_state_name(dev->fsm.state));
 	ni_dhcp4_send_event(NI_DHCP4_EVENT_DEFERRED, dev, NULL);
 }
 
@@ -473,9 +475,12 @@ ni_dhcp4_fsm_release(ni_dhcp4_device_t *dev)
 	if (dev->config->release_lease) {
 		ni_debug_dhcp("%s: releasing lease", dev->ifname);
 		ni_dhcp4_device_send_message(dev, DHCP4_RELEASE, dev->lease);
+		ni_dhcp4_fsm_commit_lease(dev, NULL);
+	} else {
+		ni_dhcp4_device_drop_lease(dev);
+		ni_dhcp4_send_event(NI_DHCP4_EVENT_RELEASED, dev, NULL);
+		ni_dhcp4_fsm_restart(dev);
 	}
-
-	ni_dhcp4_fsm_commit_lease(dev, NULL);
 }
 
 /*