diff --git a/src/box/memtx_engine.c b/src/box/memtx_engine.c
index 23ccc4703fe75d55e71b8f3e14190c2d277840c4..4da80824af10f5f07c95a75ab413452e82ae8cb7 100644
--- a/src/box/memtx_engine.c
+++ b/src/box/memtx_engine.c
@@ -1177,7 +1177,6 @@ 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);
@@ -1187,6 +1186,7 @@ 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