diff --git a/drivers/hv/channel_mgmt.c b/drivers/hv/channel_mgmt.c
index 7903acc3403e..9c9da3a6c03a 100644
--- a/drivers/hv/channel_mgmt.c
+++ b/drivers/hv/channel_mgmt.c
@@ -177,19 +177,22 @@ static void percpu_channel_deq(void *arg)
 }
 
 
-void hv_process_channel_removal(struct vmbus_channel *channel, u32 relid)
+static void vmbus_release_relid(u32 relid)
 {
 	struct vmbus_channel_relid_released msg;
-	unsigned long flags;
-	struct vmbus_channel *primary_channel;
 
 	memset(&msg, 0, sizeof(struct vmbus_channel_relid_released));
 	msg.child_relid = relid;
 	msg.header.msgtype = CHANNELMSG_RELID_RELEASED;
 	vmbus_post_msg(&msg, sizeof(struct vmbus_channel_relid_released));
+}
 
-	if (channel == NULL)
-		return;
+void hv_process_channel_removal(struct vmbus_channel *channel, u32 relid)
+{
+	unsigned long flags;
+	struct vmbus_channel *primary_channel;
+
+	vmbus_release_relid(relid);
 
 	BUG_ON(!channel->rescind);
 
@@ -336,6 +339,8 @@ static void vmbus_process_offer(struct vmbus_channel *newchannel)
 	return;
 
 err_deq_chan:
+	vmbus_release_relid(newchannel->offermsg.child_relid);
+
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&vmbus_connection.channel_lock, flags);
 	list_del(&newchannel->listentry);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&vmbus_connection.channel_lock, flags);
@@ -587,7 +592,11 @@ static void vmbus_onoffer_rescind(struct vmbus_channel_message_header *hdr)
 	channel = relid2channel(rescind->child_relid);
 
 	if (channel == NULL) {
-		hv_process_channel_removal(NULL, rescind->child_relid);
+		/*
+		 * This is very impossible, because in
+		 * vmbus_process_offer(), we have already invoked
+		 * vmbus_release_relid() on error.
+		 */
 		return;
 	}