diff --git a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-posix.c b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-posix.c
index 377510912a..59cbc0188e 100644
--- a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-posix.c
+++ b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-posix.c
@@ -367,6 +367,16 @@ int ipod_alloc_buffer(struct ipod_t* ipod, int bufsize)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int ipod_dealloc_buffer(struct ipod_t* ipod)
+{
+    if (ipod->sectorbuf == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    free(ipod->sectorbuf);
+    ipod->sectorbuf = NULL;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int ipod_seek(struct ipod_t* ipod, unsigned long pos)
 {
     off_t res;
diff --git a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-win32.c b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-win32.c
index d4bdbf0173..cea218774a 100644
--- a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-win32.c
+++ b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio-win32.c
@@ -170,6 +170,19 @@ int ipod_alloc_buffer(struct ipod_t* ipod, int bufsize)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int ipod_dealloc_buffer(struct ipod_t* ipod)
+{
+    if (ipod->sectorbuf == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    if(!VirtualFree(ipod->sectorbuf, 0, MEM_RELEASE)) {
+        ipod_print_error(" Error releasing buffer ");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    ipod->sectorbuf = NULL;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int ipod_seek(struct ipod_t* ipod, unsigned long pos)
 {
     if (SetFilePointer(ipod->dh, pos, NULL, FILE_BEGIN)==0xffffffff) {
diff --git a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio.h b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio.h
index 8a2f06cf20..4f1a35dd09 100644
--- a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio.h
+++ b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/ipodio.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ int ipod_scsi_inquiry(struct ipod_t* ipod, int page_code,
 ssize_t ipod_read(struct ipod_t* ipod, int nbytes);
 ssize_t ipod_write(struct ipod_t* ipod, int nbytes);
 int ipod_alloc_buffer(struct ipod_t* ipod, int bufsize);
+int ipod_dealloc_buffer(struct ipod_t* ipod);
 
 /* In fat32format.c */
 int format_partition(struct ipod_t* ipod, int partition);
diff --git a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/main.c b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/main.c
index 12c38de704..e82fbf53f3 100644
--- a/rbutil/ipodpatcher/main.c
+++ b/rbutil/ipodpatcher/main.c
@@ -614,5 +614,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     }
 #endif
 
+    ipod_dealloc_buffer(&ipod);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/autodetection.cpp b/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/autodetection.cpp
index a453fa8d60..e57c4542d0 100644
--- a/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/autodetection.cpp
+++ b/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/autodetection.cpp
@@ -162,8 +162,7 @@ bool Autodetection::detect()
     else {
         qDebug() << "[Autodetect] ipodpatcher: no Ipod found." << n;
     }
-    free(ipod.sectorbuf);
-    ipod.sectorbuf = NULL;
+    ipod_dealloc_buffer(&ipod);
 
     // try sansapatcher
     // initialize sector buffer. Needed.
diff --git a/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/bootloaderinstallipod.cpp b/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/bootloaderinstallipod.cpp
index 3d90663392..de7aaa897b 100644
--- a/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/bootloaderinstallipod.cpp
+++ b/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/bootloaderinstallipod.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ BootloaderInstallIpod::BootloaderInstallIpod(QObject *parent)
 BootloaderInstallIpod::~BootloaderInstallIpod()
 {
     if(ipod.sectorbuf) {
-        free(ipod.sectorbuf);
-        ipod.sectorbuf = NULL;
+        ipod_dealloc_buffer(&ipod);
     }
 }