diff --git a/shared/n-dhcp4/src/n-dhcp4-c-probe.c b/shared/n-dhcp4/src/n-dhcp4-c-probe.c
index 65d6ef8373..88af36afea 100644
--- a/shared/n-dhcp4/src/n-dhcp4-c-probe.c
+++ b/shared/n-dhcp4/src/n-dhcp4-c-probe.c
@@ -800,7 +800,8 @@ static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_lifetime(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_offer(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp4Incoming *message) {
+static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_offer(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp4Incoming *message_take) {
+        _c_cleanup_(n_dhcp4_incoming_freep) NDhcp4Incoming *message = message_take;
         _c_cleanup_(n_dhcp4_client_lease_unrefp) NDhcp4ClientLease *lease = NULL;
         NDhcp4CEventNode *node;
         int r;
@@ -818,7 +819,7 @@ static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_offer(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp
                 if (r)
                         return r;
 
-                /* message consumed, do not fail */
+                message = NULL; /* consumed */
 
                 n_dhcp4_client_lease_link(lease, probe);
 
@@ -836,15 +837,15 @@ static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_offer(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp
         case N_DHCP4_CLIENT_PROBE_STATE_REBINDING:
         case N_DHCP4_CLIENT_PROBE_STATE_EXPIRED:
         default:
-                /* ignore, but consume message. */
-                n_dhcp4_incoming_free(message);
+                /* ignore */
                 break;
         }
 
         return 0;
 }
 
-static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_ack(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp4Incoming *message) {
+static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_ack(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp4Incoming *message_take) {
+        _c_cleanup_(n_dhcp4_incoming_freep) NDhcp4Incoming *message = message_take;
         _c_cleanup_(n_dhcp4_client_lease_unrefp) NDhcp4ClientLease *lease = NULL;
         NDhcp4CEventNode *node;
         int r;
@@ -863,7 +864,7 @@ static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_ack(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp4I
                 if (r)
                         return r;
 
-                /* message consumed, do not fail */
+                message = NULL; /* consumed */
 
                 n_dhcp4_client_lease_link(lease, probe);
 
@@ -886,7 +887,7 @@ static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_ack(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp4I
                 if (r)
                         return r;
 
-                /* message consumed, do not fail */
+                message = NULL; /* consumed */
 
                 n_dhcp4_client_lease_link(lease, probe);
 
@@ -904,8 +905,7 @@ static int n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_ack(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, NDhcp4I
         case N_DHCP4_CLIENT_PROBE_STATE_GRANTED:
         case N_DHCP4_CLIENT_PROBE_STATE_EXPIRED:
         default:
-                /* ignore, but consume message. */
-                n_dhcp4_incoming_free(message);
+                /* ignore */
                 break;
         }
 
@@ -1169,17 +1169,15 @@ int n_dhcp4_client_probe_dispatch_io(NDhcp4ClientProbe *probe, uint32_t events)
         switch (type) {
         case N_DHCP4_MESSAGE_OFFER:
                 r = n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_offer(probe, message);
+                message = NULL; /* consumed */
                 if (r)
                         return r;
-                else
-                        message = NULL; /* consumed */
                 break;
         case N_DHCP4_MESSAGE_ACK:
                 r = n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_ack(probe, message);
+                message = NULL; /* consumed */
                 if (r)
                         return r;
-                else
-                        message = NULL; /* consumed */
                 break;
         case N_DHCP4_MESSAGE_NAK:
                 r = n_dhcp4_client_probe_transition_nak(probe);