diff --git a/src/jtag/tcl.c b/src/jtag/tcl.c
index d2f1f0db5..8b76bff07 100644
--- a/src/jtag/tcl.c
+++ b/src/jtag/tcl.c
@@ -689,8 +689,9 @@ static int jim_jtag_arp_init(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 	int e = jtag_init_inner(context);
 	if (e != ERROR_OK) {
 		Jim_Obj *eObj = Jim_NewIntObj(goi.interp, e);
+		Jim_IncrRefCount(eObj);
 		Jim_SetResultFormatted(goi.interp, "error: %#s", eObj);
-		Jim_FreeNewObj(goi.interp, eObj);
+		Jim_DecrRefCount(goi.interp, eObj);
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
 	return JIM_OK;
@@ -713,8 +714,9 @@ static int jim_jtag_arp_init_reset(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const
 
 	if (e != ERROR_OK) {
 		Jim_Obj *eObj = Jim_NewIntObj(goi.interp, e);
+		Jim_IncrRefCount(eObj);
 		Jim_SetResultFormatted(goi.interp, "error: %#s", eObj);
-		Jim_FreeNewObj(goi.interp, eObj);
+		Jim_DecrRefCount(goi.interp, eObj);
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
 	return JIM_OK;