diff --git a/drivers/vhost/net.c b/drivers/vhost/net.c
index 48e574ae6033..cec9173aac6f 100644
--- a/drivers/vhost/net.c
+++ b/drivers/vhost/net.c
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ static void vhost_tx_batch(struct vhost_net *net,
 		.num = nvq->batched_xdp,
 		.ptr = nvq->xdp,
 	};
-	int err;
+	int i, err;
 
 	if (nvq->batched_xdp == 0)
 		goto signal_used;
@@ -475,6 +475,15 @@ static void vhost_tx_batch(struct vhost_net *net,
 	err = sock->ops->sendmsg(sock, msghdr, 0);
 	if (unlikely(err < 0)) {
 		vq_err(&nvq->vq, "Fail to batch sending packets\n");
+
+		/* free pages owned by XDP; since this is an unlikely error path,
+		 * keep it simple and avoid more complex bulk update for the
+		 * used pages
+		 */
+		for (i = 0; i < nvq->batched_xdp; ++i)
+			put_page(virt_to_head_page(nvq->xdp[i].data));
+		nvq->batched_xdp = 0;
+		nvq->done_idx = 0;
 		return;
 	}