diff --git a/src/box/memtx_engine.c b/src/box/memtx_engine.c
index e6f4857ff6810c6c73bb22f64801590eaa6b5e94..52aab99081fb48010c22dc660e96b6271971916c 100644
--- a/src/box/memtx_engine.c
+++ b/src/box/memtx_engine.c
@@ -1105,7 +1105,6 @@ memtx_tuple_delete(struct tuple_format *format, struct tuple *tuple)
 	struct memtx_engine *memtx = (struct memtx_engine *)format->engine;
 	say_debug("%s(%p)", __func__, tuple);
 	assert(tuple->refs == 0);
-	tuple_format_unref(format);
 	struct memtx_tuple *memtx_tuple =
 		container_of(tuple, struct memtx_tuple, base);
 	size_t total = tuple_size(tuple) + offsetof(struct memtx_tuple, base);
@@ -1115,6 +1114,7 @@ memtx_tuple_delete(struct tuple_format *format, struct tuple *tuple)
 		smfree(&memtx->alloc, memtx_tuple, total);
 	else
 		smfree_delayed(&memtx->alloc, memtx_tuple, total);
+	tuple_format_unref(format);
 }
 
 void