diff --git a/sys/netinet6/in6.c b/sys/netinet6/in6.c
index 48fa8dd2efc6..057c0ee91e02 100644
--- a/sys/netinet6/in6.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/in6.c
@@ -1921,10 +1921,8 @@ in6_ifawithifp(struct ifnet *ifp, struct in6_addr *dst)
 				besta = (struct in6_ifaddr *)ifa;
 		}
 	}
-	if (besta) {
-		ifa_ref(&besta->ia_ifa);
+	if (besta)
 		return (besta);
-	}
 
 	CK_STAILQ_FOREACH(ifa, &ifp->if_addrhead, ifa_link) {
 		if (ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family != AF_INET6)
@@ -1941,20 +1939,14 @@ in6_ifawithifp(struct ifnet *ifp, struct in6_addr *dst)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (ifa != NULL)
-			ifa_ref(ifa);
 		return (struct in6_ifaddr *)ifa;
 	}
 
 	/* use the last-resort values, that are, deprecated addresses */
-	if (dep[0]) {
-		ifa_ref((struct ifaddr *)dep[0]);
+	if (dep[0])
 		return dep[0];
-	}
-	if (dep[1]) {
-		ifa_ref((struct ifaddr *)dep[1]);
+	if (dep[1])
 		return dep[1];
-	}
 
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c b/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c
index df1e9e6f2dcd..58334788b05b 100644
--- a/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c
@@ -1177,7 +1177,6 @@ ip6_output(struct mbuf *m0, struct ip6_pktopts *opt,
 			counter_u64_add(ia6->ia_ifa.ifa_opackets, 1);
 			counter_u64_add(ia6->ia_ifa.ifa_obytes,
 			    m->m_pkthdr.len);
-			ifa_free(&ia6->ia_ifa);
 		}
 		error = ip6_output_send(inp, ifp, origifp, m, dst, ro,
 		    (flags & IP_NO_SND_TAG_RL) ? false : true);