diff --git a/src/MessageStore.cpp b/src/MessageStore.cpp
index 4030bdd28..913a40c45 100644
--- a/src/MessageStore.cpp
+++ b/src/MessageStore.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ static inline void resetMessagePool()
 // If not enough space remains, wrap around (ring buffer style)
 static inline uint16_t storeTextInPool(const char *src, size_t len)
 {
+    // Pool allocation can fail at boot; getTextFromPool() already maps offset 0 to "" in that case
+    if (!g_messagePool)
+        return 0;
+
     if (len >= MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE)
         len = MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE - 1;
 
diff --git a/src/mesh/MeshService.cpp b/src/mesh/MeshService.cpp
index 162d15353..0d450804c 100644
--- a/src/mesh/MeshService.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/MeshService.cpp
@@ -353,6 +353,8 @@ ErrorCode MeshService::sendQueueStatusToPhone(const meshtastic_QueueStatus &qs,
     lastQueueStatus = *copied;
 
     res = toPhoneQueueStatusQueue.enqueue(copied, 0);
+    if (!res)
+        releaseQueueStatusToPool(copied);
     fromNum++;
 
     return res ? ERRNO_OK : ERRNO_UNKNOWN;
diff --git a/src/mesh/RF95Interface.cpp b/src/mesh/RF95Interface.cpp
index 6968b5654..909d47e23 100644
--- a/src/mesh/RF95Interface.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/RF95Interface.cpp
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ bool RF95Interface::init()
 
     limitPower(RF95_MAX_POWER);
 
-    iface = lora = new RadioLibRF95(&module);
+    lora.reset(new RadioLibRF95(&module));
+    iface = lora.get();
 
 #ifdef RF95_TCXO
     pinMode(RF95_TCXO, OUTPUT);
diff --git a/src/mesh/RF95Interface.h b/src/mesh/RF95Interface.h
index e01dfe376..2cd483572 100644
--- a/src/mesh/RF95Interface.h
+++ b/src/mesh/RF95Interface.h
@@ -4,12 +4,18 @@
 #include "RadioLibInterface.h"
 #include "RadioLibRF95.h"
 
+#include <memory>
+
 /**
  * Our new not radiohead adapter for RF95 style radios
  */
 class RF95Interface : public RadioLibInterface
 {
-    RadioLibRF95 *lora = NULL; // Either a RFM95 or RFM96 depending on what was stuffed on this board
+    // Either a RFM95 or RFM96 depending on what was stuffed on this board.
+    // Owned here; every other radio interface holds its driver by value, but this one is
+    // constructed in init(), so unique_ptr keeps it from leaking when init() fails and the
+    // interface is destroyed.
+    std::unique_ptr<RadioLibRF95> lora;
 
   public:
     RF95Interface(LockingArduinoHal *hal, RADIOLIB_PIN_TYPE cs, RADIOLIB_PIN_TYPE irq, RADIOLIB_PIN_TYPE rst,