diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmciEnv.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmciEnv.cpp
index f5a3e5b4d4d..47db09d6922 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmciEnv.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmciEnv.cpp
@@ -589,7 +589,9 @@ jboolean JVMCIEnv::transfer_pending_exception(JavaThread* THREAD, JVMCIEnv* peer
 
 JVMCIEnv::~JVMCIEnv() {
   if (_init_error_msg != nullptr) {
-    os::free((void*) _init_error_msg);
+    // The memory allocated in libjvmci was not allocated with os::malloc
+    // so must not be freed with os::free.
+    ALLOW_C_FUNCTION(::free((void*) _init_error_msg));
   }
   if (_init_error != JNI_OK) {
     return;