diff --git a/tools/lib/thermal/commands.c b/tools/lib/thermal/commands.c
index a9223df91dcf..27b4442f0e34 100644
--- a/tools/lib/thermal/commands.c
+++ b/tools/lib/thermal/commands.c
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ static thermal_error_t thermal_genl_auto(struct thermal_handler *th, cmd_cb_t cm
 					 struct cmd_param *param,
 					 int cmd, int flags, void *arg)
 {
+	thermal_error_t ret = THERMAL_ERROR;
 	struct nl_msg *msg;
 	void *hdr;
 
@@ -289,17 +290,19 @@ static thermal_error_t thermal_genl_auto(struct thermal_handler *th, cmd_cb_t cm
 	hdr = genlmsg_put(msg, NL_AUTO_PORT, NL_AUTO_SEQ, thermal_cmd_ops.o_id,
 			  0, flags, cmd, THERMAL_GENL_VERSION);
 	if (!hdr)
-		return THERMAL_ERROR;
+		goto out;
 
 	if (cmd_cb && cmd_cb(msg, param))
-		return THERMAL_ERROR;
+		goto out;
 
 	if (nl_send_msg(th->sk_cmd, th->cb_cmd, msg, genl_handle_msg, arg))
-		return THERMAL_ERROR;
+		goto out;
 
+	ret = THERMAL_SUCCESS;
+out:
 	nlmsg_free(msg);
 
-	return THERMAL_SUCCESS;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 thermal_error_t thermal_cmd_get_tz(struct thermal_handler *th, struct thermal_zone **tz)