diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/publisher.c b/rcl/src/rcl/publisher.c
index cdd11ca36..be18d27ec 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/publisher.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/publisher.c
@@ -197,6 +197,15 @@ rcl_publisher_init(
   goto cleanup;
 fail:
   if (publisher->impl) {
+    if (publisher->impl->rmw_handle) {
+      rmw_ret_t rmw_fail_ret = rmw_destroy_publisher(
+        rcl_node_get_rmw_handle(node), publisher->impl->rmw_handle);
+      if (RMW_RET_OK != rmw_fail_ret) {
+        RCUTILS_SAFE_FWRITE_TO_STDERR(rmw_get_error_string().str);
+        RCUTILS_SAFE_FWRITE_TO_STDERR("\n");
+      }
+    }
+
     allocator->deallocate(publisher->impl, allocator->state);
   }
 
diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/subscription.c b/rcl/src/rcl/subscription.c
index 8747f5427..108eaed6d 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/subscription.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/subscription.c
@@ -193,6 +193,15 @@ rcl_subscription_init(
   goto cleanup;
 fail:
   if (subscription->impl) {
+    if (subscription->impl->rmw_handle) {
+      rmw_ret_t rmw_fail_ret = rmw_destroy_subscription(
+        rcl_node_get_rmw_handle(node), subscription->impl->rmw_handle);
+      if (RMW_RET_OK != rmw_fail_ret) {
+        RCUTILS_SAFE_FWRITE_TO_STDERR(rmw_get_error_string().str);
+        RCUTILS_SAFE_FWRITE_TO_STDERR("\n");
+      }
+    }
+
     allocator->deallocate(subscription->impl, allocator->state);
   }
   ret = fail_ret;