diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c
index f2a5a36fdacd4..7251121ab196e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/vcap/vcap_api_kunit.c
@@ -1444,6 +1444,8 @@ static void vcap_api_encode_rule_test(struct kunit *test)
 
 	ret = vcap_del_rule(&test_vctrl, &test_netdev, id);
 	KUNIT_EXPECT_EQ(test, 0, ret);
+
+	vcap_free_rule(rule);
 }
 
 static void vcap_api_set_rule_counter_test(struct kunit *test)