diff --git a/src/core/channel/client_channel.c b/src/core/channel/client_channel.c
index 4daec40b944..bc481e59ca5 100644
--- a/src/core/channel/client_channel.c
+++ b/src/core/channel/client_channel.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ static void start_rpc(grpc_call_element *elem, grpc_call_op *op) {
   gpr_mu_lock(&chand->mu);
   if (calld->state == CALL_CANCELLED) {
     gpr_mu_unlock(&chand->mu);
+    grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&op->data.metadata);
     op->done_cb(op->user_data, GRPC_OP_ERROR);
     return;
   }
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@ static void cancel_rpc(grpc_call_element *elem, grpc_call_op *op) {
       child_elem->filter->call_op(child_elem, elem, op);
       return; /* early out */
     case CALL_WAITING:
+      grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&calld->s.waiting_op.data.metadata);
       remove_waiting_child(chand, calld);
       calld->state = CALL_CANCELLED;
       gpr_mu_unlock(&chand->mu);
@@ -370,6 +372,9 @@ static void destroy_call_elem(grpc_call_element *elem) {
   if (calld->state == CALL_ACTIVE) {
     grpc_child_call_destroy(calld->s.active.child_call);
   }
+  if (calld->state == CALL_WAITING) {
+    grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&calld->s.waiting_op.data.metadata);
+  }
 }
 
 /* Constructor for channel_data */
diff --git a/src/core/channel/http_server_filter.c b/src/core/channel/http_server_filter.c
index 9bd148d9813..e47fa06ffcc 100644
--- a/src/core/channel/http_server_filter.c
+++ b/src/core/channel/http_server_filter.c
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ static void call_op(grpc_call_element *elem, grpc_call_element *from_elem,
             gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "Missing te trailers header");
           }
           /* Error this call out */
+          grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&op->data.metadata);
           op->done_cb(op->user_data, GRPC_OP_OK);
           grpc_call_element_send_cancel(elem);
         }
diff --git a/src/core/security/auth.c b/src/core/security/auth.c
index 4acb7a4454e..1db29f2eeb9 100644
--- a/src/core/security/auth.c
+++ b/src/core/security/auth.c
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ static void on_host_checked(void *user_data, grpc_security_status status) {
     gpr_asprintf(&error_msg, "Invalid host %s set in :authority metadata.",
                  grpc_mdstr_as_c_string(calld->host));
     bubbleup_error(elem, error_msg);
+    grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&calld->op.data.metadata);
     gpr_free(error_msg);
     calld->op.done_cb(calld->op.user_data, GRPC_OP_ERROR);
   }
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ static void call_op(grpc_call_element *elem, grpc_call_element *from_elem,
                          "Invalid host %s set in :authority metadata.",
                          call_host);
             bubbleup_error(elem, error_msg);
+            grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&calld->op.data.metadata);
             gpr_free(error_msg);
             op->done_cb(op->user_data, GRPC_OP_ERROR);
           }
diff --git a/src/core/surface/call.c b/src/core/surface/call.c
index 84d53c51dac..608442c0089 100644
--- a/src/core/surface/call.c
+++ b/src/core/surface/call.c
@@ -307,6 +307,9 @@ static void destroy_call(void *call, int ignored_success) {
   for (i = 0; i < GPR_ARRAY_SIZE(c->buffered_metadata); i++) {
     gpr_free(c->buffered_metadata[i].metadata);
   }
+  for (i = 0; i < c->send_initial_metadata_count; i++) {
+    grpc_mdelem_unref(c->send_initial_metadata[i].md);
+  }
   if (c->legacy_state) {
     destroy_legacy_state(c->legacy_state);
   }
@@ -663,6 +666,7 @@ static void enact_send_action(grpc_call *call, send_action sa) {
         grpc_metadata_batch_link_head(&op.data.metadata,
                                       &call->send_initial_metadata[i]);
       }
+      call->send_initial_metadata_count = 0;
       op.done_cb = finish_start_step;
       op.user_data = call;
       op.bind_pollset = grpc_cq_pollset(call->cq);
diff --git a/src/core/surface/lame_client.c b/src/core/surface/lame_client.c
index 710418f1d98..718d9b1fea8 100644
--- a/src/core/surface/lame_client.c
+++ b/src/core/surface/lame_client.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ static void call_op(grpc_call_element *elem, grpc_call_element *from_elem,
 
   switch (op->type) {
     case GRPC_SEND_METADATA:
+      grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&op->data.metadata);
       grpc_call_recv_synthetic_status(elem, GRPC_STATUS_UNKNOWN, "Rpc sent on a lame channel.");
       grpc_call_stream_closed(elem);
       break;
diff --git a/src/core/transport/metadata.c b/src/core/transport/metadata.c
index 44f6591c955..74e94b2c248 100644
--- a/src/core/transport/metadata.c
+++ b/src/core/transport/metadata.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ static void unlock(grpc_mdctx *ctx) {
   if (ctx->refs == 0) {
     /* uncomment if you're having trouble diagnosing an mdelem leak to make
        things clearer (slows down destruction a lot, however) */
-    /* gc_mdtab(ctx); */
+    gc_mdtab(ctx);
     if (ctx->mdtab_count && ctx->mdtab_count == ctx->mdtab_free) {
       discard_metadata(ctx);
     }
diff --git a/src/core/transport/stream_op.c b/src/core/transport/stream_op.c
index f38f60a86be..f3e634d8532 100644
--- a/src/core/transport/stream_op.c
+++ b/src/core/transport/stream_op.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ void grpc_stream_ops_unref_owned_objects(grpc_stream_op *ops, size_t nops) {
         gpr_slice_unref(ops[i].data.slice);
         break;
       case GRPC_OP_METADATA:
-        /* grpc_mdelem_unref(ops[i].data.metadata); */
+        grpc_metadata_batch_destroy(&ops[i].data.metadata);
         break;
       case GRPC_OP_FLOW_CTL_CB:
         ops[i].data.flow_ctl_cb.cb(ops[i].data.flow_ctl_cb.arg, GRPC_OP_ERROR);