diff --git a/examples/hardware_decoding/main.go b/examples/hardware_decoding/main.go
index fcaa76d..a1847f5 100644
--- a/examples/hardware_decoding/main.go
+++ b/examples/hardware_decoding/main.go
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ func main() {
 		if s.hardwareDeviceContext, err = astiav.CreateHardwareDeviceContext(hardwareDeviceType, *hardwareDeviceName, nil, 0); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("main: creating hardware device context failed: %w", err))
 		}
+		defer s.hardwareDeviceContext.Free()
 
 		// Update decoder context
 		s.decCodecContext.SetHardwareDeviceContext(s.hardwareDeviceContext)
diff --git a/examples/hardware_encoding/main.go b/examples/hardware_encoding/main.go
index 2f12291..7cd6ba9 100644
--- a/examples/hardware_encoding/main.go
+++ b/examples/hardware_encoding/main.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ func main() {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("main: creating hardware device context failed: %w", err))
 	}
+	defer hardwareDeviceContext.Free()
 
 	// Find encoder codec
 	encCodec := astiav.FindEncoderByName(*encoderCodecName)
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ func main() {
 	if hardwareFrameContext == nil {
 		log.Fatal("main: hardware frame context is nil")
 	}
+	defer hardwareFrameContext.Free()
 
 	// Get software pixel format
 	softwarePixelFormat := astiav.FindPixelFormatByName(*softwarePixelFormatName)
diff --git a/hardware_device_context.go b/hardware_device_context.go
index d246378..b8bcb01 100644
--- a/hardware_device_context.go
+++ b/hardware_device_context.go
@@ -29,3 +29,9 @@ func CreateHardwareDeviceContext(t HardwareDeviceType, device string, options *D
 	}
 	return &hdc, nil
 }
+
+func (hdc *HardwareDeviceContext) Free() {
+	if hdc.c != nil {
+		C.av_buffer_unref(&hdc.c)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hardware_frame_context.go b/hardware_frame_context.go
index 8ea4941..7bfdc7c 100644
--- a/hardware_frame_context.go
+++ b/hardware_frame_context.go
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ func AllocHardwareFrameContext(hdc *HardwareDeviceContext) *HardwareFrameContext
 	return newHardwareFrameContextFromC(C.av_hwframe_ctx_alloc(hdc.c))
 }
 
+func (hfc *HardwareFrameContext) Free() {
+	if hfc.c != nil {
+		C.av_buffer_unref(&hfc.c)
+	}
+}
+
 func (hfc *HardwareFrameContext) data() *C.AVHWFramesContext {
 	return (*C.AVHWFramesContext)(unsafe.Pointer((hfc.c.data)))
 }