diff --git a/lib/path.c b/lib/path.c
index 57b5ca1a1..7a259871e 100644
--- a/lib/path.c
+++ b/lib/path.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ static void path_read(struct path *p)
 	int recv;
 	int enqueue;
 	int enqueued;
-	int ready = 0; /**< Number of blocks in smps[] which are allocated and ready to be used by node_read(). */
+	int ready; /**< Number of blocks in smps[] which are allocated and ready to be used by node_read(). */
 	
 	struct path_source *ps = p->source;
 	
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ static void path_read(struct path *p)
 	struct sample *smps[cnt];
 
 	/* Fill smps[] free sample blocks from the pool */
-	ready += sample_alloc(&ps->pool, smps, cnt - ready);
+	ready = sample_alloc(&ps->pool, smps, cnt);
 	if (ready != cnt)
 		warn("Pool underrun for path %s", path_name(p));
 
@@ -41,8 +41,11 @@ static void path_read(struct path *p)
 	recv = node_read(ps->node, smps, ready);
 	if (recv < 0)
 		error("Failed to receive message from node %s", node_name(ps->node));
-	else if (recv < ready)
+	else if (recv < ready) {
 		warn("Partial read for path %s: read=%u expected=%u", path_name(p), recv, ready);
+		/* Free samples that weren't written to */
+		sample_free(smps+recv, ready-recv);
+	}
 
 	debug(DBG_PATH | 15, "Received %u messages from node %s", recv, node_name(ps->node));
 
@@ -54,16 +57,23 @@ static void path_read(struct path *p)
 		stats_update(p->stats->delta, STATS_SKIPPED, recv - enqueue);
 	}
 
+	/* Keep track of the lowest index that wasn't enqueued;
+	 * all following samples must be freed here */
+	int refd = 0;
 	list_foreach(struct path_destination *pd, &p->destinations) {
 		enqueued = queue_push_many(&pd->queue, (void **) smps, enqueue);
 		if (enqueue != enqueued)
 			warn("Queue overrun for path %s", path_name(p));
 		
-		for (int i = 0; i < enqueued; i++)
+		for (int i = 0; i < enqueued; i++) {
 			sample_get(smps[i]); /* increase reference count */
+			refd = i;
+		}
 
 		debug(DBG_PATH | 15, "Enqueued %u samples from %s to queue of %s", enqueued, node_name(ps->node), node_name(pd->node));
 	}
+	if (refd != recv-1)
+		sample_free(smps+refd+1, recv-refd-1);
 }
 
 static void path_write(struct path *p)
@@ -376,4 +386,4 @@ int path_parse(struct path *p, config_setting_t *cfg, struct list *nodes, struct
 	list_destroy(&destinations, NULL, false);
 
 	return 0;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}