diff --git a/os_if/linux/spectral/src/os_if_spectral_netlink.c b/os_if/linux/spectral/src/os_if_spectral_netlink.c
index 0a7c39627e6e..d345ec799013 100644
--- a/os_if/linux/spectral/src/os_if_spectral_netlink.c
+++ b/os_if/linux/spectral/src/os_if_spectral_netlink.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2011, 2017-2018 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2011, 2017-2019 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
  *
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for
@@ -364,6 +364,9 @@ os_if_spectral_nl_unicast_msg(struct wlan_objmgr_pdev *pdev)
 				 ps->skb,
 				 ps->spectral_pid, MSG_DONTWAIT);
 
+	/* clear the local copy */
+	ps->skb = NULL;
+
 	return status;
 }
 #else
@@ -399,6 +402,9 @@ os_if_spectral_nl_unicast_msg(struct wlan_objmgr_pdev *pdev)
 	if (status < 0)
 		spectral_err("failed to send to spectral scan app");
 
+	/* clear the local copy */
+	ps->skb = NULL;
+
 	return status;
 }
 
@@ -451,6 +457,9 @@ os_if_spectral_nl_bcast_msg(struct wlan_objmgr_pdev *pdev)
 				   ps->skb,
 				   0, 1, GFP_ATOMIC);
 
+	/* clear the local copy */
+	ps->skb = NULL;
+
 	return status;
 }
 
@@ -539,6 +548,8 @@ void os_if_spectral_netlink_deinit(struct wlan_objmgr_pdev *pdev)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	os_if_spectral_free_skb(pdev);
+
 	if (sptrl_ctx->sptrlc_deregister_netlink_cb)
 		sptrl_ctx->sptrlc_deregister_netlink_cb(pdev);
 
diff --git a/target_if/spectral/target_if_spectral.h b/target_if/spectral/target_if_spectral.h
index 3f6b139c539c..39470d984b41 100644
--- a/target_if/spectral/target_if_spectral.h
+++ b/target_if/spectral/target_if_spectral.h
@@ -1463,9 +1463,10 @@ init_160mhz_delivery_state_machine(struct target_if_spectral *spectral) {
  */
 static inline void
 deinit_160mhz_delivery_state_machine(struct target_if_spectral *spectral) {
-	if (spectral->spectral_report_cache)
+	if (spectral->spectral_report_cache && spectral->nl_cb.free_nbuff) {
 		spectral->nl_cb.free_nbuff(spectral->pdev_obj);
-	spectral->spectral_report_cache = NULL;
+		spectral->spectral_report_cache = NULL;
+	}
 }
 
 /**