diff --git a/src/tool_metalink.c b/src/tool_metalink.c
index 0740407f9..cd5a7d650 100644
--- a/src/tool_metalink.c
+++ b/src/tool_metalink.c
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ static void delete_metalink_resource(metalink_resource *res)
   Curl_safefree(res);
 }
 
-static void delete_metalinkfile(metalinkfile *mlfile)
+void delete_metalinkfile(metalinkfile *mlfile)
 {
   metalink_resource *res;
   if(mlfile == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tool_metalink.h b/src/tool_metalink.h
index 1e367033c..f5ec306f7 100644
--- a/src/tool_metalink.h
+++ b/src/tool_metalink.h
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ extern const digest_params SHA256_DIGEST_PARAMS[1];
  * Counts the resource in the metalinkfile.
  */
 int count_next_metalink_resource(metalinkfile *mlfile);
+
+void delete_metalinkfile(metalinkfile *mlfile);
 void clean_metalink(struct OperationConfig *config);
 
 /*
@@ -158,6 +160,7 @@ void metalink_cleanup(void);
 #else /* USE_METALINK */
 
 #define count_next_metalink_resource(x)  0
+#define delete_metalinkfile(x)  (void)x
 #define clean_metalink(x)  (void)x
 
 /* metalink_cleanup() takes no arguments */
diff --git a/src/tool_operate.c b/src/tool_operate.c
index d2ad9642d..09dfc0c84 100644
--- a/src/tool_operate.c
+++ b/src/tool_operate.c
@@ -2073,6 +2073,10 @@ static CURLcode serial_transfers(struct GlobalConfig *global,
     result = post_transfer(global, share, per, result, &retry);
     if(retry)
       continue;
+
+    /* Release metalink related resources here */
+    delete_metalinkfile(per->mlfile);
+
     per = del_transfer(per);
 
     /* Bail out upon critical errors or --fail-early */