diff --git a/src/sip-dialog-controller.cpp b/src/sip-dialog-controller.cpp
index 30af2cd52e..2a3dbc1688 100644
--- a/src/sip-dialog-controller.cpp
+++ b/src/sip-dialog-controller.cpp
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ namespace drachtio {
                     "ACK for non-success responses is automatically generated by the stack" ) ;
             }
             else {
-                msg_t* m = nta_outgoing_getrequest(orq) ;
+                msg_t* m = nta_outgoing_getrequest(orq) ;  // adds a reference
                 sip_t* sip = sip_object( m ) ;
 
                 if( sip_method_ack == method ) {
@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@ namespace drachtio {
                 string s ;
                 meta.toMessageFormat(s) ;
                 string data = s + "|" + pData->getTransactionId() + "|Msg sent:|" + CRLF + encodedMessage ;
+                msg_destroy(m) ; //releases reference
 
                 m_pController->getClientController()->route_api_response( pData->getClientMsgId(), "OK", data ) ;                
             }
@@ -395,7 +396,7 @@ namespace drachtio {
                 throw std::runtime_error("Error creating sip transaction for uac request") ;               
             }
 
-            msg_t* m = nta_outgoing_getrequest(orq) ;
+            msg_t* m = nta_outgoing_getrequest(orq) ; //adds a reference
             sip_t* sip = sip_object( m ) ;
 
             if( method == sip_method_invite ) {
@@ -414,6 +415,7 @@ namespace drachtio {
             SipMsgData_t meta(m, orq) ;
             string s ;
             meta.toMessageFormat(s) ;
+            msg_destroy(m) ;    // releases reference
 
             string data = s + "|" + pData->getTransactionId() + "|Msg sent:|" + CRLF + encodedMessage ;
 
@@ -474,7 +476,7 @@ namespace drachtio {
         if( findIIPByTransactionId( transactionId, iip ) ) {
             nta_outgoing_t *cancel = nta_outgoing_tcancel(iip->orq(), NULL, NULL, TAG_NULL());
             if( NULL != cancel ) {
-                msg_t* m = nta_outgoing_getrequest(cancel) ;
+                msg_t* m = nta_outgoing_getrequest(cancel) ;    // adds a reference
                 sip_t* sip = sip_object( m ) ;
 
                 string cancelTransactionId ;
@@ -486,6 +488,7 @@ namespace drachtio {
                 string s ;
                 meta.toMessageFormat(s) ;
                 string data = s + "|" + cancelTransactionId + "|Msg sent:|" + CRLF + encodedMessage ;
+                msg_destroy(m) ;
 
                 //Note: not adding an RIP because the 200 OK to the CANCEL is not passed up to us
                 //boost::shared_ptr<RIP> p = boost::make_shared<RIP>( cancelTransactionId, iip->dlg() ? iip->dlg()->getDialogId() : "" ) ;
@@ -573,8 +576,9 @@ namespace drachtio {
         
         string encodedMessage ;
         bool truncated ;
-        msg_t* msg = nta_outgoing_getresponse(orq) ;
+        msg_t* msg = nta_outgoing_getresponse(orq) ;    //adds a reference
         SipMsgData_t meta( msg, orq, "network") ;
+        msg_destroy( msg ) ;                            //releases reference
 
         EncodeStackMessage( sip, encodedMessage ) ;
 
@@ -904,10 +908,11 @@ namespace drachtio {
 
             string encodedMessage ;
             bool truncated ;
-            msg_t* msg = nta_outgoing_getresponse(orq) ;
+            msg_t* msg = nta_outgoing_getresponse(orq) ;  // adds a reference
             SipMsgData_t meta( msg, orq, "network") ;
 
             EncodeStackMessage( sip, encodedMessage ) ;
+            msg_destroy(msg) ;                             // releases reference
             
             m_pController->getClientController()->route_response_inside_transaction( encodedMessage, meta, orq, sip, rip->getTransactionId(), rip->getDialogId() ) ;            
 
@@ -995,9 +1000,10 @@ namespace drachtio {
             DR_LOG(log_debug) << "SipDialogController::processCancelOrAck - Received CANCEL for call-id " << sip->sip_call_id->i_id << ", sending to client"  ;
 
             string encodedMessage ;
-            msg_t* msg = nta_incoming_getrequest( irq ) ;
+            msg_t* msg = nta_incoming_getrequest( irq ) ;   // adds a reference
             EncodeStackMessage( sip, encodedMessage ) ;
             SipMsgData_t meta( msg, irq ) ;
+            msg_destroy(msg);                               // releases reference
 
             m_pClientController->route_request_inside_invite( encodedMessage, meta, irq, sip, iip->getTransactionId(), dlg->getDialogId() ) ;
             
@@ -1047,9 +1053,10 @@ namespace drachtio {
             m_pClientController->addDialogForTransaction( dlg->getTransactionId(), dlg->getDialogId() ) ;  
 
             string encodedMessage ;
-            msg_t* msg = nta_incoming_getrequest( prack ) ;
+            msg_t* msg = nta_incoming_getrequest( prack ) ; // adds a reference
             EncodeStackMessage( sip, encodedMessage ) ;
             SipMsgData_t meta( msg, prack ) ;
+            msg_destroy(msg);                               // releases the reference
 
             m_pClientController->route_request_inside_dialog( encodedMessage, meta, prack, sip, transactionId, dlg->getDialogId() ) ;