diff --git a/lib/route/link/api.c b/lib/route/link/api.c
index 9387bc5..392ded3 100644
--- a/lib/route/link/api.c
+++ b/lib/route/link/api.c
@@ -366,20 +366,25 @@ int rtnl_link_af_data_compare(struct rtnl_link *a, struct rtnl_link *b,
 			      int family)
 {
 	struct rtnl_link_af_ops *af_ops = rtnl_link_af_ops_lookup(family);
+	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (!af_ops)
 		return ~0;
 
 	if (!a->l_af_data[family] && !b->l_af_data[family])
-		return 0;
+		goto out;
 
-	if (!a->l_af_data[family] || !b->l_af_data[family])
-		return ~0;
+	if (!a->l_af_data[family] || !b->l_af_data[family]) {
+		ret = ~0;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (af_ops->ao_compare)
-		return af_ops->ao_compare(a, b, family, ~0, 0);
+		ret = af_ops->ao_compare(a, b, family, ~0, 0);
+out:
+	rtnl_link_af_ops_put(af_ops);
 
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /** @} */