diff --git a/pscp.c b/pscp.c
index 5aedfee0..50bea930 100644
--- a/pscp.c
+++ b/pscp.c
@@ -928,6 +928,8 @@ int scp_send_filedata(char *data, int len)
 	    ret = xfer_upload_gotpkt(scp_sftp_xfer, pktin);
 	    if (ret <= 0) {
 		tell_user(stderr, "error while writing: %s", fxp_error());
+                if (ret == INT_MIN)        /* pktin not even freed */
+                    sfree(pktin);
 		errs++;
 		return 1;
 	    }
@@ -969,6 +971,8 @@ int scp_send_finish(void)
 	    ret = xfer_upload_gotpkt(scp_sftp_xfer, pktin);
 	    if (ret <= 0) {
 		tell_user(stderr, "error while writing: %s", fxp_error());
+                if (ret == INT_MIN)        /* pktin not even freed */
+                    sfree(pktin);
 		errs++;
 		return 1;
 	    }
@@ -1566,6 +1570,8 @@ int scp_recv_filedata(char *data, int len)
 	ret = xfer_download_gotpkt(scp_sftp_xfer, pktin);
 	if (ret <= 0) {
 	    tell_user(stderr, "pscp: error while reading: %s", fxp_error());
+            if (ret == INT_MIN)        /* pktin not even freed */
+                sfree(pktin);
 	    errs++;
 	    return -1;
 	}
@@ -1611,6 +1617,8 @@ int scp_finish_filerecv(void)
 	    ret = xfer_download_gotpkt(scp_sftp_xfer, pktin);
             if (ret <= 0) {
                 tell_user(stderr, "pscp: error while reading: %s", fxp_error());
+                if (ret == INT_MIN)        /* pktin not even freed */
+                    sfree(pktin);
                 errs++;
                 return -1;
             }
diff --git a/psftp.c b/psftp.c
index 26f24f9c..5bc7d7c8 100644
--- a/psftp.c
+++ b/psftp.c
@@ -468,6 +468,8 @@ int sftp_get_file(char *fname, char *outfname, int recurse, int restart)
 		printf("error while reading: %s\n", fxp_error());
 		shown_err = TRUE;
 	    }
+            if (ret == INT_MIN)        /* pktin not even freed */
+                sfree(pktin);
             ret = 0;
 	}
 
@@ -720,9 +722,13 @@ int sftp_put_file(char *fname, char *outfname, int recurse, int restart)
 	if (!xfer_done(xfer)) {
 	    pktin = sftp_recv();
 	    ret = xfer_upload_gotpkt(xfer, pktin);
-	    if (ret <= 0 && !err) {
-		printf("error while writing: %s\n", fxp_error());
-		err = 1;
+	    if (ret <= 0) {
+                if (ret == INT_MIN)        /* pktin not even freed */
+                    sfree(pktin);
+                if (!err) {
+                    printf("error while writing: %s\n", fxp_error());
+                    err = 1;
+                }
 	    }
 	}
     }
diff --git a/sftp.c b/sftp.c
index 4c051826..927f4d9c 100644
--- a/sftp.c
+++ b/sftp.c
@@ -1196,6 +1196,10 @@ struct fxp_xfer *xfer_download_init(struct fxp_handle *fh, uint64 offset)
     return xfer;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Returns INT_MIN to indicate that it didn't even get as far as
+ * fxp_read_recv and hence has not freed pktin.
+ */
 int xfer_download_gotpkt(struct fxp_xfer *xfer, struct sftp_packet *pktin)
 {
     struct sftp_request *rreq;
@@ -1203,10 +1207,12 @@ int xfer_download_gotpkt(struct fxp_xfer *xfer, struct sftp_packet *pktin)
 
     rreq = sftp_find_request(pktin);
     if (!rreq)
-        return 0;            /* this packet doesn't even make sense */
+        return INT_MIN;            /* this packet doesn't even make sense */
     rr = (struct req *)fxp_get_userdata(rreq);
-    if (!rr)
-	return 0;		       /* this packet isn't ours */
+    if (!rr) {
+        fxp_internal_error("request ID is not part of the current download");
+	return INT_MIN;		       /* this packet isn't ours */
+    }
     rr->retlen = fxp_read_recv(pktin, rreq, rr->buffer, rr->len);
 #ifdef DEBUG_DOWNLOAD
     printf("read request %p has returned [%d]\n", rr, rr->retlen);
@@ -1377,6 +1383,10 @@ void xfer_upload_data(struct fxp_xfer *xfer, char *buffer, int len)
 #endif
 }
 
+/*
+ * Returns INT_MIN to indicate that it didn't even get as far as
+ * fxp_write_recv and hence has not freed pktin.
+ */
 int xfer_upload_gotpkt(struct fxp_xfer *xfer, struct sftp_packet *pktin)
 {
     struct sftp_request *rreq;
@@ -1385,10 +1395,12 @@ int xfer_upload_gotpkt(struct fxp_xfer *xfer, struct sftp_packet *pktin)
 
     rreq = sftp_find_request(pktin);
     if (!rreq)
-        return 0;            /* this packet doesn't even make sense */
+        return INT_MIN;            /* this packet doesn't even make sense */
     rr = (struct req *)fxp_get_userdata(rreq);
-    if (!rr)
-	return 0;		       /* this packet isn't ours */
+    if (!rr) {
+        fxp_internal_error("request ID is not part of the current upload");
+	return INT_MIN;		       /* this packet isn't ours */
+    }
     ret = fxp_write_recv(pktin, rreq);
 #ifdef DEBUG_UPLOAD
     printf("write request %p has returned [%d]\n", rr, ret);