diff --git a/src/apps/mail/WIndex.cpp b/src/apps/mail/WIndex.cpp
index 76b38da4ba..8f27a5e8ab 100644
--- a/src/apps/mail/WIndex.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/mail/WIndex.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ WIndex::SetTo(const char *dataPath, const char *indexPath)
 	dataFile = new BFile();
 
 	if (dataFile->SetTo(dataPath, B_READ_ONLY) != B_OK) {
+		delete dataFile;
 		return B_ERROR;
 	} else {
 		bool buildIndex = true;