diff --git a/src/msg.cpp b/src/msg.cpp
index 1ad9f172..72e45580 100644
--- a/src/msg.cpp
+++ b/src/msg.cpp
@@ -288,6 +288,15 @@ void zmq::msg_t::set_metadata (zmq::metadata_t *metadata_)
     u.base.metadata = metadata_;
 }
 
+void zmq::msg_t::reset_metadata ()
+{
+    if (u.base.metadata) {
+        if (u.base.metadata->drop_ref ())
+            delete u.base.metadata;
+        u.base.metadata = NULL;
+    }
+}
+
 bool zmq::msg_t::is_identity () const
 {
     return (u.base.flags & identity) == identity;
diff --git a/src/msg.hpp b/src/msg.hpp
index 05c881fc..ea2bb4e4 100644
--- a/src/msg.hpp
+++ b/src/msg.hpp
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ namespace zmq
         void set_fd (int64_t fd_);
         metadata_t *metadata () const;
         void set_metadata (metadata_t *metadata_);
+        void reset_metadata ();
         bool is_identity () const;
         bool is_credential () const;
         bool is_delimiter () const;
diff --git a/src/socket_base.cpp b/src/socket_base.cpp
index e9c1a3d7..363d9844 100644
--- a/src/socket_base.cpp
+++ b/src/socket_base.cpp
@@ -799,6 +799,8 @@ int zmq::socket_base_t::send (msg_t *msg_, int flags_)
     if (flags_ & ZMQ_SNDMORE)
         msg_->set_flags (msg_t::more);
 
+    msg_->reset_metadata ();
+
     //  Try to send the message.
     rc = xsend (msg_);
     if (rc == 0)