diff --git a/sound/soc/codecs/aw88081.c b/sound/soc/codecs/aw88081.c
index a3cc027de606..3247ba5c71b8 100644
--- a/sound/soc/codecs/aw88081.c
+++ b/sound/soc/codecs/aw88081.c
@@ -1133,7 +1133,7 @@ static int aw88081_dev_init(struct aw88081 *aw88081, struct aw_container *aw_cfg
 
 static int aw88081_request_firmware_file(struct aw88081 *aw88081)
 {
-	const struct firmware *cont = NULL;
+	const struct firmware *cont __free(firmware) = NULL;
 	struct aw_container *aw_cfg;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -1147,17 +1147,14 @@ static int aw88081_request_firmware_file(struct aw88081 *aw88081)
 			AW88081_ACF_FILE, cont ? cont->size : 0);
 
 	aw_cfg = devm_kzalloc(aw88081->aw_pa->dev, struct_size(aw_cfg, data, cont->size), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!aw_cfg) {
-		release_firmware(cont);
+	if (!aw_cfg)
 		return -ENOMEM;
-	}
+
 	aw_cfg->len = (int)cont->size;
 	memcpy(aw_cfg->data, cont->data, cont->size);
 
 	aw88081->aw_cfg = aw_cfg;
 
-	release_firmware(cont);
-
 	ret = aw88395_dev_load_acf_check(aw88081->aw_pa, aw88081->aw_cfg);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;