diff --git a/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc b/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
index 219eef02b0..0e6c65b1e6 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vst3_plugin.cc
@@ -1003,17 +1003,19 @@ VST3PI::VST3PI (boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::VST3PluginModule> m, int index, std::s
 
 	if (!_controller) {
 		_component->terminate ();
+		_component->release ();
 		throw failed_constructor ();
 	}
 
 	if (_controller->setComponentHandler (this) != kResultOk) {
 		_component->terminate ();
+		_component->release ();
 		throw failed_constructor ();
 	}
 
 	if (!(_processor = FUnknownPtr<Vst::IAudioProcessor> (_component))) {
-		//_controller->terminate();
 		_component->terminate ();
+		_component->release ();
 		throw failed_constructor ();
 	}
 
@@ -1031,6 +1033,7 @@ VST3PI::VST3PI (boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::VST3PluginModule> m, int index, std::s
 	if (!connect_components ()) {
 		//_controller->terminate(); // XXX ?
 		_component->terminate ();
+		_component->release ();
 		throw failed_constructor ();
 	}
 
@@ -1147,12 +1150,15 @@ VST3PI::terminate ()
 		_controller->terminate ();
 	}
 
+	_component->release ();
+
 	if (_factory) {
 		_factory->release ();
 	}
 
-	_component  = 0;
 	_controller = 0;
+	_component  = 0;
+	_factory  = 0;
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc b/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
index 3a4f0ca010..cd7163c2ef 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ ARDOUR::discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginModule> m, std::vector<VST3In
 
 			if (component->initialize (HostApplication::getHostContext ()) != kResultOk) {
 				cerr << "Failed to initialize VST3 component\n";
-				//component->terminate();
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -160,12 +159,14 @@ ARDOUR::discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginModule> m, std::vector<VST3In
 			if (!(processor = FUnknownPtr<Vst::IAudioProcessor> (component))) {
 				cerr << "VST3: No valid processor";
 				component->terminate ();
+				component->release ();
 				continue;
 			}
 
 			if (processor->canProcessSampleSize (Vst::kSample32) != kResultTrue) {
 				cerr << "VST3: Cannot process 32bit float";
 				component->terminate ();
+				component->release ();
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -179,8 +180,8 @@ ARDOUR::discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginModule> m, std::vector<VST3In
 			processor->setProcessing (false);
 			component->setActive (false);
 
-			//controller->terminate();
 			component->terminate ();
+			component->release ();
 			rv.push_back (nfo);
 		}
 	}