diff --git a/test/core/transport/metadata_test.c b/test/core/transport/metadata_test.c
index fc8b187570de94aefb35beada2db5919a2d08a71..92e58f23751a87510a805150a61e4bfd05de6f80 100644
--- a/test/core/transport/metadata_test.c
+++ b/test/core/transport/metadata_test.c
@@ -389,6 +389,8 @@ static void test_copied_static_metadata(bool dup_key, bool dup_value) {
     } else {
       GPR_ASSERT(p.payload == q.payload);
     }
+    GRPC_MDELEM_UNREF(&exec_ctx, p);
+    GRPC_MDELEM_UNREF(&exec_ctx, q);
   }
 
   grpc_exec_ctx_finish(&exec_ctx);