diff --git a/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c b/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
index 2296ceee636d..182f6e4978a4 100644
--- a/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
+++ b/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
@@ -573,6 +573,9 @@ QDF_STATUS sme_ser_cmd_callback(void *buf,
 		break;
 	case WLAN_SER_CB_RELEASE_MEM_CMD:
 		sme_debug("WLAN_SER_CB_RELEASE_MEM_CMD callback");
+		if (cmd->vdev)
+			wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(cmd->vdev,
+						     WLAN_LEGACY_SME_ID);
 		sme_cmd = cmd->umac_cmd;
 		csr_release_command_buffer(mac_ctx, sme_cmd);
 		break;
diff --git a/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c b/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c
index 01dff3074736..859108596421 100644
--- a/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c
+++ b/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c
@@ -20437,9 +20437,6 @@ QDF_STATUS csr_queue_sme_command(tpAniSirGlobal mac_ctx, tSmeCmd *sme_cmd,
 	ser_cmd_status = wlan_serialization_request(&cmd);
 	sme_debug("wlan_serialization_request status:%d", ser_cmd_status);
 
-	if (vdev)
-		wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(vdev, WLAN_LEGACY_SME_ID);
-
 	switch (ser_cmd_status) {
 	case WLAN_SER_CMD_PENDING:
 	case WLAN_SER_CMD_ACTIVE:
@@ -20460,7 +20457,11 @@ QDF_STATUS csr_queue_sme_command(tpAniSirGlobal mac_ctx, tSmeCmd *sme_cmd,
 	return status;
 
 error:
+	if (vdev)
+		wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(vdev, WLAN_LEGACY_SME_ID);
+
 	csr_release_command_buffer(mac_ctx, sme_cmd);
+
 	return QDF_STATUS_E_FAILURE;
 }