diff --git a/src/trace/trace.c b/src/trace/trace.c
index c49875d7e..397d48989 100644
--- a/src/trace/trace.c
+++ b/src/trace/trace.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ int re_trace_init(const char *json_file)
 	trace.event_buffer_flush = mem_zalloc(
 		TRACE_BUFFER_SIZE * sizeof(struct trace_event), NULL);
 	if (!trace.event_buffer_flush) {
-		mem_deref(trace.event_buffer);
+		trace.event_buffer = mem_deref(trace.event_buffer);
 		return ENOMEM;
 	}
 
@@ -191,8 +191,8 @@ int re_trace_init(const char *json_file)
 out:
 	if (err) {
 		re_atomic_rlx_set(&trace.init, false);
-		mem_deref(trace.event_buffer);
-		mem_deref(trace.event_buffer_flush);
+		trace.event_buffer	 = mem_deref(trace.event_buffer);
+		trace.event_buffer_flush = mem_deref(trace.event_buffer_flush);
 	}
 
 	return err;
@@ -249,8 +249,8 @@ int re_trace_flush(void)
 	struct trace_event *event_tmp;
 	struct trace_event *e;
 	char *json_arg;
-	char name[128]	   = {0};
-	char id_str[128]   = {0};
+	char name[128]	 = {0};
+	char id_str[128] = {0};
 
 	if (!re_atomic_rlx(&trace.init))
 		return 0;
@@ -271,6 +271,9 @@ int re_trace_flush(void)
 			e = &trace.event_buffer_flush[i];
 			if (e->arg_type == RE_TRACE_ARG_STRING_COPY)
 				mem_deref((void *)e->arg.a_str);
+
+			if (e->id)
+				mem_deref(e->id);
 		}
 		return ENOMEM;
 	}
diff --git a/test/trace.c b/test/trace.c
index be85c828e..6966be3e2 100644
--- a/test/trace.c
+++ b/test/trace.c
@@ -67,5 +67,7 @@ int test_trace(void)
 #endif
 
 out:
+	if (err)
+		re_trace_close();
 	return err;
 }