diff --git a/modules/rest_client/rest_client.c b/modules/rest_client/rest_client.c
index 2b35440850a..22e4b5eed6f 100644
--- a/modules/rest_client/rest_client.c
+++ b/modules/rest_client/rest_client.c
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ int async_rest_method(enum rest_client_method method, struct sip_msg *msg,
 
 		/* keep default async status of NO_IO */
 		pkg_free(param);
-		return rc;
+		goto done;
 
 	/* no need for async - transfer already completed! */
 	} else if (read_fd == ASYNC_SYNC) {
@@ -646,7 +646,8 @@ int async_rest_method(enum rest_client_method method, struct sip_msg *msg,
 			val.ri = (int)http_rc;
 			if (pv_set_value(msg, (pv_spec_p)code_pv, 0, &val) != 0) {
 				LM_ERR("failed to set output code pv\n");
-				return RCL_INTERNAL_ERR;
+				rc = RCL_INTERNAL_ERR;
+				goto done;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -654,14 +655,16 @@ int async_rest_method(enum rest_client_method method, struct sip_msg *msg,
 		val.rs = param->body;
 		if (pv_set_value(msg, (pv_spec_p)body_pv, 0, &val) != 0) {
 			LM_ERR("failed to set output body pv\n");
-			return RCL_INTERNAL_ERR;
+			rc = RCL_INTERNAL_ERR;
+			goto done;
 		}
 
 		if (ctype_pv) {
 			val.rs = param->ctype;
 			if (pv_set_value(msg, (pv_spec_p)ctype_pv, 0, &val) != 0) {
 				LM_ERR("failed to set output ctype pv\n");
-				return RCL_INTERNAL_ERR;
+				rc = RCL_INTERNAL_ERR;
+				goto done;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -672,7 +675,7 @@ int async_rest_method(enum rest_client_method method, struct sip_msg *msg,
 		pkg_free(param);
 
 		async_status = ASYNC_SYNC;
-		return rc;
+		goto done;
 	}
 
 	/* the TCP connection is established, async started with success */
@@ -692,6 +695,11 @@ int async_rest_method(enum rest_client_method method, struct sip_msg *msg,
 
 	async_status = read_fd;
 	return 1;
+
+done:
+	if (lrc == RCL_OK_LOCKED)
+		rcl_release_url(host, rc == RCL_OK);
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static int w_async_rest_get(struct sip_msg *msg, async_ctx *ctx, str *url,
diff --git a/modules/rest_client/rest_methods.c b/modules/rest_client/rest_methods.c
index 8b3d20872f5..0bdac16d987 100644
--- a/modules/rest_client/rest_methods.c
+++ b/modules/rest_client/rest_methods.c
@@ -631,8 +631,8 @@ void rcl_release_url(char *url_host, int update_conn_ts)
 		void **connected_ts;
 
 		connected_ts = map_get(rcl_connections, host_str);
-		if (connected_ts)
-			*connected_ts = (void *)(unsigned long)get_ticks();
+		if (connected_ts && *connected_ts)
+			*(unsigned long *)(*connected_ts) = (unsigned long)get_ticks();
 	}
 
 	pkg_free(url_host);