diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/iRCCE.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/iRCCE.h
index 5c0edfc3..7c071d5b 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/iRCCE.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/iRCCE.h
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ typedef struct _iRCCE_MAIL_TRASH_BIN {
 //
 //  Initialize/Finalize functions:
 int   iRCCE_init(void);
+int   iRCCE_finalize(void);
 //
 //  Non-blocking send/recv functions:
 int   iRCCE_isend(char *, ssize_t, int, iRCCE_SEND_REQUEST *);
diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_admin.c b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_admin.c
index ba465765..2a28f09e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_admin.c
+++ b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_admin.c
@@ -109,4 +109,23 @@ int iRCCE_init(void) {
   return (iRCCE_SUCCESS);
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// FUNCTION: iRCCE_finalize
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// finalize the library
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+int iRCCE_finalize(void) {
+	// empty iRCCE_mail_garbage
+	iRCCE_MAIL_HEADER* run;
+	iRCCE_MAIL_HEADER* erase_header;
+
+	for( run = iRCCE_mail_garbage.first; run != NULL; ) {
+		erase_header = run;
+		run = run->next;
+		kfree( erase_header, sizeof(iRCCE_MAIL_HEADER) );
+	}
+
+	iRCCE_mail_garbage.first = iRCCE_mail_garbage.last = NULL;
+	return iRCCE_SUCCESS;
+}
 #endif
diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
index 4c235da9..8b14480a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
+++ b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_ROCKCREEK
 #include <asm/iRCCE_lib.h>
 
+// forward declaration
+static int iRCCE_mailbox_close_one(int rank, int check); 
+
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // FUNCTION: iRCCE_mailbox_print_header
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -90,8 +94,8 @@ static int iRCCE_mail_fetch(
 	// check if received a last-mail
 	if( header->tag == iRCCE_LAST_MAIL ) {
 		iRCCE_last_mail[rank] = 1;
-		iRCCE_mailbox_close( rank ); // we can close respective mailbox
-		kfree( header, sizeof(iRCCE_MAIL_HEADER) );
+		iRCCE_mailbox_close_one( rank, 0 ); // we can close respective mailbox
+		iRCCE_mail_release( &header );
 	}
 	else {
 		// check mail priority
@@ -119,8 +123,7 @@ static int iRCCE_mail_fetch(
 // routine to check for new mail in mailboxes
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 static int iRCCE_mailbox_check() {
-	int i, j;
-	int tmp;
+	int i;
 
 	for( i=0; i<RCCE_NP; ++i ) {
 		// only check open mailboxes
@@ -317,12 +320,12 @@ int iRCCE_mailbox_flush(void) {
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // routine to close one mailbox
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-static int iRCCE_mailbox_close_one(int rank) {
+static int iRCCE_mailbox_close_one(int rank, int check) {
 	RCCE_acquire_lock( RCCE_IAM );
 	
 	// check if it contains new mail	
 	RC_cache_invalidate();
-	if( iRCCE_mailbox_recv[rank]->sent ) { 
+	if( check && iRCCE_mailbox_recv[rank]->sent ) { 
 		iRCCE_mail_fetch(rank);
 
 	}
@@ -352,11 +355,11 @@ int iRCCE_mailbox_close(int rank) {
 	if( rank == iRCCE_MAILBOX_ALL ) {
 		int i;
 		for( i=0; i<RCCE_NP; ++i ) {
-			iRCCE_mailbox_close_one( i );
+			iRCCE_mailbox_close_one( i, 1 );
 		}
 	}
 	else {
-		iRCCE_mailbox_close_one( rank );
+		iRCCE_mailbox_close_one( rank, 1 );
 	}
 
 	return iRCCE_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/icc.c b/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
index bf12483d..7d9f4603 100644
--- a/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
+++ b/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ int icc_halt(void)
 		irq_nested_enable(flags);
 	} while(do_send);
 
+	iRCCE_finalize();
+
 	HALT;
 
 	return 0;