diff --git a/src/decode.c b/src/decode.c
index 1aa964c5f1..17ca90b3bc 100644
--- a/src/decode.c
+++ b/src/decode.c
@@ -82,6 +82,19 @@ int DecodeTunnel(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p,
     return TM_ECODE_OK;
 }
 
+static inline void PacketFreeExtData(Packet *p)
+{
+    /* if p uses extended data, free them */
+    if (p->ext_pkt) {
+        if (!(p->flags & PKT_ZERO_COPY)) {
+            SCFree(p->ext_pkt);
+        }
+        p->ext_pkt = NULL;
+    }
+}
+
+
+
 /**
  * \brief Return a malloced packet.
  */
@@ -140,6 +153,7 @@ Packet *PacketGetFromAlloc(void)
  */
 void PacketFreeOrRelease(Packet *p)
 {
+    PacketFreeExtData(p);
     if (p->flags & PKT_ALLOC)
         PacketFree(p);
     else
diff --git a/src/tmqh-packetpool.c b/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
index 531af50c33..ec4a4fe116 100644
--- a/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
+++ b/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
@@ -273,14 +273,6 @@ void TmqhOutputPacketpool(ThreadVars *t, Packet *p)
         p->root = NULL;
     }
 
-    /* if p uses extended data, free them */
-    if (p->ext_pkt) {
-        if (!(p->flags & PKT_ZERO_COPY)) {
-            SCFree(p->ext_pkt);
-        }
-        p->ext_pkt = NULL;
-    }
-
     PACKET_PROFILING_END(p);
 
     p->ReleasePacket(p);