diff --git a/sys/netinet6/in6_mcast.c b/sys/netinet6/in6_mcast.c
index 3f948e14f68..dbdbbd8a254 100644
--- a/sys/netinet6/in6_mcast.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/in6_mcast.c
@@ -526,9 +526,6 @@ in6m_release_locked(struct in6_multi *inm)
 
 	in6m_purge(inm);
 
-	/* Free state-change requests that might be queued. */
-	_IF_DRAIN(&inm->in6m_scq);
-
 	free(inm, M_IP6MADDR);
 
 	if_delmulti_ifma(ifma);
@@ -1076,6 +1073,8 @@ in6m_purge(struct in6_multi *inm)
 		free(ims, M_IP6MSOURCE);
 		inm->in6m_nsrc--;
 	}
+	/* Free state-change requests that might be queued. */
+	_IF_DRAIN(&inm->in6m_scq);
 }
 
 /*