diff --git a/changes/bug26948 b/changes/bug26948
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0f0728843f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug26948
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Minor bugfixes (in-process restart):
+    - Always call tor_free_all() when leaving tor_run_main(). When we
+      did not, restarting tor in-process would cause an assertion failure.
+      Fixes bug 26948; bugfix on 0.3.3.1-alpha.
diff --git a/src/core/mainloop/main.c b/src/core/mainloop/main.c
index 048397a2da..c648d236bb 100644
--- a/src/core/mainloop/main.c
+++ b/src/core/mainloop/main.c
@@ -4251,10 +4251,10 @@ tor_run_main(const tor_main_configuration_t *tor_cfg)
 #endif /* defined(NT_SERVICE) */
   {
     int init_rv = tor_init(argc, argv);
-    if (init_rv < 0)
-      return -1;
-    else if (init_rv > 0)
-      return 0;
+    if (init_rv) {
+      tor_free_all(0);
+      return (init_rv < 0) ? -1 : 0;
+    }
   }
 
   if (get_options()->Sandbox && get_options()->command == CMD_RUN_TOR) {
@@ -4262,6 +4262,7 @@ tor_run_main(const tor_main_configuration_t *tor_cfg)
 
     if (sandbox_init(cfg)) {
       log_err(LD_BUG,"Failed to create syscall sandbox filter");
+      tor_free_all(0);
       return -1;
     }