diff --git a/lib/ff_dpdk_if.c b/lib/ff_dpdk_if.c
index 45fcdb1f1..17fd45504 100644
--- a/lib/ff_dpdk_if.c
+++ b/lib/ff_dpdk_if.c
@@ -443,6 +443,8 @@ ff_msg_init(struct rte_mempool *mp,
     msg->msg_type = FF_UNKNOWN;
     msg->buf_addr = (char *)msg + sizeof(struct ff_msg);
     msg->buf_len = mp->elt_size - sizeof(struct ff_msg);
+    msg->original_buf = NULL;
+    msg->original_buf_len = 0;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/lib/ff_msg.h b/lib/ff_msg.h
index be1b16a59..454e41e0b 100644
--- a/lib/ff_msg.h
+++ b/lib/ff_msg.h
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ struct ff_msg {
     size_t buf_len;
     /* Address of segment buffer. */
     char *buf_addr;
+    char *original_buf;
+    size_t original_buf_len;
 
     union {
         struct ff_sysctl_args sysctl;
diff --git a/tools/compat/sysctl.c b/tools/compat/sysctl.c
index 5e6bffba3..7e8c645fe 100644
--- a/tools/compat/sysctl.c
+++ b/tools/compat/sysctl.c
@@ -30,13 +30,23 @@
 
 #include "ff_ipc.h"
 
+#define FREE_FF_MSG(m) do { \
+        if (m->original_buf) { \
+            rte_free(m->buf_addr); \
+            m->buf_addr = m->original_buf; \
+            m->buf_len = m->original_buf_len; \
+            m->original_buf = NULL; \
+        } \
+        ff_ipc_msg_free(m); \
+    } while (0);
+
 int
 sysctl(int *name, unsigned namelen, void *old,
     size_t *oldlenp, const void *new, size_t newlen)
 {
     struct ff_msg *msg, *retmsg = NULL;
-    char *extra_buf = NULL, *original_buf = NULL;
-    size_t total_len, original_buf_len;
+    char *extra_buf = NULL;
+    size_t total_len;
 
     if (old != NULL && oldlenp == NULL) {
         errno = EINVAL;
@@ -62,8 +72,8 @@ sysctl(int *name, unsigned namelen, void *old,
             ff_ipc_msg_free(msg);
             return -1;
         }
-        original_buf = msg->buf_addr;
-        original_buf_len = msg->buf_len;
+        msg->original_buf = msg->buf_addr;
+        msg->original_buf_len = msg->buf_len;
         msg->buf_addr = extra_buf;
         msg->buf_len = total_len; 
     }
@@ -113,12 +123,12 @@ sysctl(int *name, unsigned namelen, void *old,
 
     do {
         if (retmsg != NULL) {
-            ff_ipc_msg_free(retmsg);
+            FREE_FF_MSG(retmsg)
         }
         ret = ff_ipc_recv(&retmsg, msg->msg_type);
         if (ret < 0) {
             errno = EPIPE;
-            goto error;
+            return -1;
         }
     } while (msg != retmsg);
 
@@ -137,14 +147,7 @@ sysctl(int *name, unsigned namelen, void *old,
     }
 
 error:
-    if (original_buf) {
-        msg->buf_addr = original_buf;
-        msg->buf_len = original_buf_len;
-    }
-    ff_ipc_msg_free(msg);
-    if (extra_buf) {
-        rte_free(extra_buf);
-    }
+    FREE_FF_MSG(msg)
 
     return ret;
 }