diff --git a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/compat.c b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/compat.c
index 0d5b6385c3..ae3adf783c 100644
--- a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/compat.c
+++ b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/compat.c
@@ -268,7 +268,13 @@ device_get_softc(device_t dev)
 void
 device_set_softc(device_t dev, void *softc)
 {
+	if (!(dev->flags & DEVICE_SOFTC_SET)) {
+		// Not externally allocated. We own it so we must clean it up.
+		free(dev->softc);
+	}
+
 	dev->softc = softc;
+	dev->flags |= DEVICE_SOFTC_SET;
 }
 
 
@@ -445,7 +451,10 @@ device_delete_child(device_t parent, device_t child)
 	if (parent->flags & DEVICE_DESC_ALLOCED)
 		free((char *)parent->description);
 
-	free(parent->softc);
+	// Delete softc if we were the ones to allocate it.
+	if (!(parent->flags & DEVICE_SOFTC_SET))
+		free(parent->softc);
+
 	free(parent);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/device.h b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/device.h
index 706144abf8..fbf04ec347 100644
--- a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/device.h
+++ b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_network/device.h
@@ -35,11 +35,12 @@ struct root_device_softc {
 };
 
 enum {
-	DEVICE_OPEN			= 1 << 0,
+	DEVICE_OPEN		= 1 << 0,
 	DEVICE_CLOSED		= 1 << 1,
 	DEVICE_NON_BLOCK	= 1 << 2,
 	DEVICE_DESC_ALLOCED	= 1 << 3,
-	DEVICE_ATTACHED		= 1 << 4
+	DEVICE_ATTACHED		= 1 << 4,
+	DEVICE_SOFTC_SET	= 1 << 5  // Set through device_set_softc().
 };