diff --git a/render/allocator/drm_dumb.c b/render/allocator/drm_dumb.c
index 03d9ff98..fab3e930 100644
--- a/render/allocator/drm_dumb.c
+++ b/render/allocator/drm_dumb.c
@@ -28,23 +28,6 @@ static struct wlr_drm_dumb_buffer *drm_dumb_buffer_from_buffer(
 	return (struct wlr_drm_dumb_buffer *)wlr_buf;
 }
 
-static void finish_buffer(struct wlr_drm_dumb_buffer *buf) {
-	if (buf->data) {
-		munmap(buf->data, buf->size);
-	}
-
-	wlr_dmabuf_attributes_finish(&buf->dmabuf);
-
-	if (buf->drm_fd >= 0) {
-		struct drm_mode_destroy_dumb destroy = { .handle = buf->handle };
-		if (drmIoctl(buf->drm_fd, DRM_IOCTL_MODE_DESTROY_DUMB, &destroy)) {
-			wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to destroy DRM dumb buffer");
-		}
-	}
-
-	wl_list_remove(&buf->link);
-}
-
 static struct wlr_drm_dumb_buffer *create_buffer(
 		struct wlr_drm_dumb_allocator *alloc, int width, int height,
 		const struct wlr_drm_format *format) {
@@ -132,8 +115,7 @@ static struct wlr_drm_dumb_buffer *create_buffer(
 	return buffer;
 
 create_destroy:
-	finish_buffer(buffer);
-	free(buffer);
+	wlr_buffer_drop(&buffer->base);
 	return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -159,7 +141,21 @@ static bool buffer_get_dmabuf(struct wlr_buffer *wlr_buffer,
 
 static void buffer_destroy(struct wlr_buffer *wlr_buffer) {
 	struct wlr_drm_dumb_buffer *buf = drm_dumb_buffer_from_buffer(wlr_buffer);
-	finish_buffer(buf);
+
+	if (buf->data) {
+		munmap(buf->data, buf->size);
+	}
+
+	wlr_dmabuf_attributes_finish(&buf->dmabuf);
+
+	if (buf->drm_fd >= 0) {
+		struct drm_mode_destroy_dumb destroy = { .handle = buf->handle };
+		if (drmIoctl(buf->drm_fd, DRM_IOCTL_MODE_DESTROY_DUMB, &destroy)) {
+			wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to destroy DRM dumb buffer");
+		}
+	}
+
+	wl_list_remove(&buf->link);
 	free(buf);
 }