diff --git a/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp b/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp
index c456f01b283..6a997b35e83 100644
--- a/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp
+++ b/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp
@@ -1975,6 +1975,8 @@ QFontEngine *QWindowsFontDatabase::createEngine(const QFontDef &request, const Q
                                                                   reinterpret_cast<void **>(&directWriteFontFace2)))) {
                     if (directWriteFontFace2->IsColorFont())
                         isColorFont = directWriteFontFace2->GetPaletteEntryCount() > 0;
+
+                    directWriteFontFace2->Release();
                 }
 #endif
                 useDw = useDw || useDirectWrite(hintingPreference, fam, isColorFont);
@@ -1996,9 +1998,8 @@ QFontEngine *QWindowsFontDatabase::createEngine(const QFontDef &request, const Q
                         fedw->glyphFormat = QFontEngine::Format_ARGB;
                     fedw->initFontInfo(fontDef, dpi);
                     fe = fedw;
-                } else {
-                    directWriteFontFace->Release();
                 }
+                directWriteFontFace->Release();
             } else if (useDw) {
                 const QString errorString = qt_error_string(int(hr));
                 qWarning().noquote().nospace() << "DirectWrite: CreateFontFaceFromHDC() failed ("