diff --git a/src/decode.c b/src/decode.c
index 4a574ac064..e790f47078 100644
--- a/src/decode.c
+++ b/src/decode.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2007-2012 Open Information Security Foundation
+/* Copyright (C) 2007-2013 Open Information Security Foundation
  *
  * You can copy, redistribute or modify this Program under the terms of
  * the GNU General Public License version 2 as published by the Free
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 #include "util-print.h"
 #include "tmqh-packetpool.h"
 #include "util-profiling.h"
+#include "pkt-var.h"
 
 void DecodeTunnel(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p,
         uint8_t *pkt, uint16_t len, PacketQueue *pq, uint8_t proto)
@@ -77,6 +78,15 @@ void DecodeTunnel(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p,
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Return a malloced packet.
+ */
+void PacketFree(Packet *p)
+{
+    PACKET_CLEANUP(p);
+    SCFree(p);
+}
+
 /**
  * \brief Get a malloced packet.
  *
@@ -91,6 +101,7 @@ Packet *PacketGetFromAlloc(void)
 
     memset(p, 0, SIZE_OF_PACKET);
     PACKET_INITIALIZE(p);
+    p->ReleasePacket = PacketFree;
     p->flags |= PKT_ALLOC;
 
     SCLogDebug("allocated a new packet only using alloc...");
@@ -99,6 +110,17 @@ Packet *PacketGetFromAlloc(void)
     return p;
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Return a packet to where it was allocated.
+ */
+void PacketFreeOrRelease(Packet *p)
+{
+    if (p->flags & PKT_ALLOC)
+        PacketFree(p);
+    else
+        PacketPoolReturnPacket(p);
+}
+
 /**
  *  \brief Get a packet. We try to get a packet from the packetpool first, but
  *         if that is empty we alloc a packet that is free'd again after
@@ -182,8 +204,6 @@ inline int PacketCopyData(Packet *p, uint8_t *pktdata, int pktlen)
     return PacketCopyDataOffset(p, 0, pktdata, pktlen);
 }
 
-
-
 /**
  *  \brief Setup a pseudo packet (tunnel)
  *
@@ -248,7 +268,8 @@ Packet *PacketPseudoPktSetup(Packet *parent, uint8_t *pkt, uint16_t len, uint8_t
  *
  *  \retval p the pseudo packet or NULL if out of memory
  */
-Packet *PacketDefragPktSetup(Packet *parent, uint8_t *pkt, uint16_t len, uint8_t proto) {
+Packet *PacketDefragPktSetup(Packet *parent, uint8_t *pkt, uint16_t len, uint8_t proto)
+{
     SCEnter();
 
     /* get us a packet */
@@ -381,7 +402,8 @@ void DecodeRegisterPerfCounters(DecodeThreadVars *dtv, ThreadVars *tv)
  *
  *  \todo IPv6
  */
-void AddressDebugPrint(Address *a) {
+void AddressDebugPrint(Address *a)
+{
     if (a == NULL)
         return;
 
@@ -397,7 +419,8 @@ void AddressDebugPrint(Address *a) {
 }
 
 /** \brief Alloc and setup DecodeThreadVars */
-DecodeThreadVars *DecodeThreadVarsAlloc() {
+DecodeThreadVars *DecodeThreadVarsAlloc()
+{
 
     DecodeThreadVars *dtv = NULL;
 
@@ -412,7 +435,6 @@ DecodeThreadVars *DecodeThreadVarsAlloc() {
     return dtv;
 }
 
-
 /**
  * \brief Set data for Packet and set length when zeo copy is used
  *
@@ -432,7 +454,8 @@ inline int PacketSetData(Packet *p, uint8_t *pktdata, int pktlen)
     return 0;
 }
 
-const char *PktSrcToString(enum PktSrcEnum pkt_src) {
+const char *PktSrcToString(enum PktSrcEnum pkt_src)
+{
     char *pkt_src_str = "<unknown>";
     switch (pkt_src) {
         case PKT_SRC_WIRE:
diff --git a/src/decode.h b/src/decode.h
index e5d74028ec..e3c2e61a39 100644
--- a/src/decode.h
+++ b/src/decode.h
@@ -406,8 +406,8 @@ typedef struct Packet_
     int debuglog_flowbits_names_len;
     const char **debuglog_flowbits_names;
 
-    /** The release function for packet data */
-    TmEcode (*ReleaseData)(ThreadVars *, struct Packet_ *);
+    /** The release function for packet structure and data */
+    void (*ReleasePacket)(struct Packet_ *);
 
     /* pkt vars */
     PktVar *pktvar;
@@ -686,7 +686,6 @@ typedef struct DecodeThreadVars_
         (p)->prev = NULL;                       \
         (p)->root = NULL;                       \
         (p)->livedev = NULL;                    \
-        (p)->ReleaseData = NULL;                \
         PACKET_RESET_CHECKSUMS((p));            \
         PACKET_PROFILING_RESET((p));            \
     } while (0)
@@ -777,6 +776,8 @@ Packet *PacketPseudoPktSetup(Packet *parent, uint8_t *pkt, uint16_t len, uint8_t
 Packet *PacketDefragPktSetup(Packet *parent, uint8_t *pkt, uint16_t len, uint8_t proto);
 Packet *PacketGetFromQueueOrAlloc(void);
 Packet *PacketGetFromAlloc(void);
+void PacketFree(Packet *p);
+void PacketFreeOrRelease(Packet *p);
 int PacketCopyData(Packet *p, uint8_t *pktdata, int pktlen);
 int PacketSetData(Packet *p, uint8_t *pktdata, int pktlen);
 int PacketCopyDataOffset(Packet *p, int offset, uint8_t *data, int datalen);
diff --git a/src/source-af-packet.c b/src/source-af-packet.c
index 3803427b15..b7a7725b94 100644
--- a/src/source-af-packet.c
+++ b/src/source-af-packet.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2011,2012 Open Information Security Foundation
+/* Copyright (C) 2011-2013 Open Information Security Foundation
  *
  * You can copy, redistribute or modify this Program under the terms of
  * the GNU General Public License version 2 as published by the Free
@@ -665,13 +665,12 @@ TmEcode AFPWritePacket(Packet *p)
     return TM_ECODE_OK;
 }
 
-TmEcode AFPReleaseDataFromRing(ThreadVars *t, Packet *p)
+void AFPReleaseDataFromRing(Packet *p)
 {
-    int ret = TM_ECODE_OK;
     /* Need to be in copy mode and need to detect early release
        where Ethernet header could not be set (and pseudo packet) */
     if ((p->afp_v.copy_mode != AFP_COPY_MODE_NONE) && !PKT_IS_PSEUDOPKT(p)) {
-        ret = AFPWritePacket(p);
+        AFPWritePacket(p);
     }
 
     if (AFPDerefSocket(p->afp_v.mpeer) == 0)
@@ -685,7 +684,12 @@ TmEcode AFPReleaseDataFromRing(ThreadVars *t, Packet *p)
 
 cleanup:
     AFPV_CLEANUP(&p->afp_v);
-    return ret;
+}
+
+void AFPReleasePacket(Packet *p)
+{
+    AFPReleaseDataFromRing(p);
+    PacketFreeOrRelease(p);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -788,7 +792,7 @@ int AFPReadFromRing(AFPThreadVars *ptv)
                 SCReturnInt(AFP_FAILURE);
             } else {
                 p->afp_v.relptr = h.raw;
-                p->ReleaseData = AFPReleaseDataFromRing;
+                p->ReleasePacket = AFPReleasePacket;
                 p->afp_v.mpeer = ptv->mpeer;
                 AFPRefSocket(ptv->mpeer);
 
diff --git a/src/tmqh-packetpool.c b/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
index d8f3cc3c30..0b2b862940 100644
--- a/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
+++ b/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ void PacketPoolStorePacket(Packet *p) {
     /* Clear the PKT_ALLOC flag, since that indicates to push back
      * onto the ring buffer. */
     p->flags &= ~PKT_ALLOC;
+    p->ReleasePacket = PacketPoolReturnPacket;
+    PacketPoolReturnPacket(p);
 
-    RingBufferMrMwPut(ringbuffer, (void *)p);
     SCLogDebug("buffersize %u", RingBufferSize(ringbuffer));
 }
 
@@ -115,6 +116,15 @@ Packet *PacketPoolGetPacket(void) {
     return p;
 }
 
+/** \brief Return packet to Packet pool
+ *
+ */
+void PacketPoolReturnPacket(Packet *p)
+{
+    PACKET_RECYCLE(p);
+    RingBufferMrMwPut(ringbuffer, (void *)p);
+}
+
 void PacketPoolInit(intmax_t max_pending_packets) {
     /* pre allocate packets */
     SCLogDebug("preallocating packets... packet size %" PRIuMAX "", (uintmax_t)SIZE_OF_PACKET);
@@ -253,33 +263,14 @@ void TmqhOutputPacketpool(ThreadVars *t, Packet *p)
 
         FlowDeReference(&p->root->flow);
         /* if p->root uses extended data, free them */
-        if (p->root->ReleaseData) {
-            if (p->root->ReleaseData(t, p->root) == TM_ECODE_FAILED) {
-                SCLogWarning(SC_ERR_INVALID_ACTION,
-                        "Unable to release packet data");
-            }
-        }
         if (p->root->ext_pkt) {
             if (!(p->root->flags & PKT_ZERO_COPY)) {
                 SCFree(p->root->ext_pkt);
             }
             p->root->ext_pkt = NULL;
         }
-        if (p->root->flags & PKT_ALLOC) {
-            PACKET_CLEANUP(p->root);
-            SCFree(p->root);
-            p->root = NULL;
-        } else {
-            PACKET_RECYCLE(p->root);
-            RingBufferMrMwPut(ringbuffer, (void *)p->root);
-        }
-
-    }
-
-    if (p->ReleaseData) {
-        if (p->ReleaseData(t, p) == TM_ECODE_FAILED) {
-            SCLogWarning(SC_ERR_INVALID_ACTION, "Unable to release packet data");
-        }
+        p->root->ReleasePacket(p->root);
+        p->root = NULL;
     }
 
     /* if p uses extended data, free them */
@@ -292,14 +283,7 @@ void TmqhOutputPacketpool(ThreadVars *t, Packet *p)
 
     PACKET_PROFILING_END(p);
 
-    SCLogDebug("getting rid of tunnel pkt... alloc'd %s (root %p)", p->flags & PKT_ALLOC ? "true" : "false", p->root);
-    if (p->flags & PKT_ALLOC) {
-        PACKET_CLEANUP(p);
-        SCFree(p);
-    } else {
-        PACKET_RECYCLE(p);
-        RingBufferMrMwPut(ringbuffer, (void *)p);
-    }
+    p->ReleasePacket(p);
 
     SCReturn;
 }
diff --git a/src/tmqh-packetpool.h b/src/tmqh-packetpool.h
index b4138324f8..a248c037a8 100644
--- a/src/tmqh-packetpool.h
+++ b/src/tmqh-packetpool.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2007-2010 Open Information Security Foundation
+/* Copyright (C) 2007-2013 Open Information Security Foundation
  *
  * You can copy, redistribute or modify this Program under the terms of
  * the GNU General Public License version 2 as published by the Free
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Packet *PacketPoolGetPacket(void);
 uint16_t PacketPoolSize(void);
 void PacketPoolStorePacket(Packet *);
 void PacketPoolWait(void);
-
+void PacketPoolReturnPacket(Packet *p);
 void PacketPoolInit(intmax_t max_pending_packets);
 void PacketPoolDestroy(void);