diff --git a/binfmt/nxflat.c b/binfmt/nxflat.c
index e90b6ef238..ee82f96561 100644
--- a/binfmt/nxflat.c
+++ b/binfmt/nxflat.c
@@ -246,18 +246,28 @@ static int nxflat_unloadbinary(FAR struct binary_s *binp)
 
   if (dspace != NULL)
     {
-      /* Free dspace region */
+      /* Check if this is the last reference to dspace.  It may still be
+       * needed by other threads.  In that case, it must persist after this
+       * thread terminates.
+       */
 
-      kumm_free(dspace->region);
-      dspace->region = 0;
+      if (dspace->crefs == 1)
+         {
+          /* Free the dspace region */
+
+          kumm_free(dspace->region);
+          dspace->region = NULL;
+
+          /* Mark alloc[0] (dspace) as freed */
+
+           binp->alloc[0] = NULL;
+
+          /* The reference count will be decremented to zero and the dspace
+           * container will be freed in sched/sched_releasetcb.c
+           */
+        }
     }
 
-  /* Mark alloc[0] (dspace) as freed */
-
- binp->alloc[0] = NULL;
-
- /* dspace container will be freed in sched/sched_releasetcb */
-
  return OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/sched/sched/sched_releasetcb.c b/sched/sched/sched_releasetcb.c
index 62e73a0caa..4c7ccceba3 100644
--- a/sched/sched/sched_releasetcb.c
+++ b/sched/sched/sched_releasetcb.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ int sched_releasetcb(FAR struct tcb_s *tcb, uint8_t ttype)
 #ifdef CONFIG_PIC
       /* Delete the task's allocated DSpace region (external modules only) */
 
-      if (tcb->dspace)
+      if (tcb->dspace != NULL)
         {
           if (tcb->dspace->crefs <= 1)
             {