diff --git a/src/producer.cpp b/src/producer.cpp
index af138d04..29f11751 100644
--- a/src/producer.cpp
+++ b/src/producer.cpp
@@ -131,10 +131,16 @@ void Producer::do_produce(const MessageBuilder& builder,
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_MSGFLAGS(policy),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_TIMESTAMP(builder.timestamp().count()),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_KEY((void*)key.get_data(), key.get_size()),
-                                    RD_KAFKA_V_HEADERS(headers.release_handle()), //pass ownership to rdkafka
+                                    RD_KAFKA_V_HEADERS(headers.get_handle()), //pass ownership to rdkafka
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_VALUE((void*)payload.get_data(), payload.get_size()),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_OPAQUE(builder.user_data()),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_END);
+    // We only want to release the handle on the headers data
+    // if the rd_kafka_producev function returned no error, otherwise
+    // the function doesn't take ownership of the headers data.    
+    if(result == RD_KAFKA_RESP_ERR_NO_ERROR) {
+        headers.release_handle();
+    }
     check_error(result);
 }
 
@@ -150,10 +156,16 @@ void Producer::do_produce(const Message& message,
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_MSGFLAGS(policy),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_TIMESTAMP(duration),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_KEY((void*)key.get_data(), key.get_size()),
-                                    RD_KAFKA_V_HEADERS(headers.release_handle()), //pass ownership to rdkafka
+                                    RD_KAFKA_V_HEADERS(headers.get_handle()), //pass ownership to rdkafka
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_VALUE((void*)payload.get_data(), payload.get_size()),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_OPAQUE(message.get_user_data()),
                                     RD_KAFKA_V_END);
+    // We only want to release the handle on the headers data
+    // if the rd_kafka_producev function returned no error, otherwise
+    // the function doesn't take ownership of the headers data.    
+    if(result == RD_KAFKA_RESP_ERR_NO_ERROR) {
+        headers.release_handle();
+    }
     check_error(result);
 }