diff --git a/components/tdls/core/src/wlan_tdls_ct.c b/components/tdls/core/src/wlan_tdls_ct.c
index 63d8a6994c42..a5be99a604b2 100644
--- a/components/tdls/core/src/wlan_tdls_ct.c
+++ b/components/tdls/core/src/wlan_tdls_ct.c
@@ -1151,18 +1151,18 @@ QDF_STATUS tdls_delete_all_tdls_peers(struct wlan_objmgr_vdev *vdev,
 	struct scheduler_msg msg = {0};
 	QDF_STATUS status;
 
+	peer = wlan_vdev_get_bsspeer(vdev);
+	if (!peer)
+		return QDF_STATUS_E_FAILURE;
+
+	if (QDF_STATUS_SUCCESS !=
+	    wlan_objmgr_peer_try_get_ref(peer, WLAN_TDLS_SB_ID))
+		return QDF_STATUS_E_FAILURE;
 
 	del_msg = qdf_mem_malloc(sizeof(*del_msg));
-	if (NULL == del_msg) {
+	if (!del_msg) {
 		tdls_err("memory alloc failed");
-		return QDF_STATUS_E_FAILURE;
-	}
-	qdf_mem_zero(del_msg, sizeof(*del_msg));
-
-	peer = wlan_vdev_get_bsspeer(vdev);
-	if (QDF_STATUS_SUCCESS != wlan_objmgr_peer_try_get_ref(peer,
-							WLAN_TDLS_SB_ID)) {
-		qdf_mem_free(del_msg);
+		wlan_objmgr_peer_release_ref(peer, WLAN_TDLS_SB_ID);
 		return QDF_STATUS_E_FAILURE;
 	}