diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
index 4680a34d..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
@@ -316,12 +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);
 
 	}
@@ -351,11 +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;