diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6fbfca54..6046e192 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -68,3 +68,6 @@ cmake-build*
 # js package locks irrelevant to the overall package's security
 benchmarks/benchmarks-stack/benchmarks-stack/package-lock.json
 benchmarks/dashboard-stack/package-lock.json
+
+# virtual environment
+.venv/
diff --git a/source/s3_client.c b/source/s3_client.c
index 80e5462e..85066027 100644
--- a/source/s3_client.c
+++ b/source/s3_client.c
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ struct aws_s3_client *aws_s3_client_new(
     client->buffer_pool = aws_s3_buffer_pool_new(allocator, part_size, mem_limit);
 
     if (client->buffer_pool == NULL) {
-        goto on_early_fail;
+        goto on_error;
     }
 
     struct aws_s3_buffer_pool_usage_stats pool_usage = aws_s3_buffer_pool_get_usage(client->buffer_pool);
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ struct aws_s3_client *aws_s3_client_new(
             "Cannot create client from client_config; configured max part size should not exceed memory limit."
             "size.");
         aws_raise_error(AWS_ERROR_S3_INVALID_MEMORY_LIMIT_CONFIG);
-        goto on_early_fail;
+        goto on_error;
     }
 
     client->vtable = &s_s3_client_default_vtable;
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ struct aws_s3_client *aws_s3_client_new(
     aws_ref_count_init(&client->ref_count, client, (aws_simple_completion_callback *)s_s3_client_start_destroy);
 
     if (aws_mutex_init(&client->synced_data.lock) != AWS_OP_SUCCESS) {
-        goto on_early_fail;
+        goto on_error;
     }
 
     aws_linked_list_init(&client->synced_data.pending_meta_request_work);
@@ -488,6 +488,44 @@ struct aws_s3_client *aws_s3_client_new(
         }
     }
 
+    client->num_network_interface_names = client_config->num_network_interface_names;
+    if (client_config->num_network_interface_names > 0) {
+        AWS_LOGF_DEBUG(
+            AWS_LS_S3_CLIENT,
+            "id=%p Client received network interface names array with length %zu.",
+            (void *)client,
+            client->num_network_interface_names);
+        aws_array_list_init_dynamic(
+            &client->network_interface_names,
+            client->allocator,
+            client_config->num_network_interface_names,
+            sizeof(struct aws_string *));
+        client->network_interface_names_cursor_array = aws_mem_calloc(
+            client->allocator, client_config->num_network_interface_names, sizeof(struct aws_byte_cursor));
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < client_config->num_network_interface_names; i++) {
+            struct aws_byte_cursor interface_name = client_config->network_interface_names_array[i];
+            struct aws_string *interface_name_str = aws_string_new_from_cursor(client->allocator, &interface_name);
+            aws_array_list_push_back(&client->network_interface_names, &interface_name_str);
+            if (aws_is_network_interface_name_valid(aws_string_c_str(interface_name_str)) == false) {
+                AWS_LOGF_ERROR(
+                    AWS_LS_S3_CLIENT,
+                    "id=%p network_interface_names_array[%zu]=" PRInSTR " is not valid.",
+                    (void *)client,
+                    i,
+                    AWS_BYTE_CURSOR_PRI(interface_name));
+                aws_raise_error(AWS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+                goto on_error;
+            }
+            client->network_interface_names_cursor_array[i] = aws_byte_cursor_from_string(interface_name_str);
+            AWS_LOGF_DEBUG(
+                AWS_LS_S3_CLIENT,
+                "id=%p network_interface_names_array[%zu]=" PRInSTR "",
+                (void *)client,
+                i,
+                AWS_BYTE_CURSOR_PRI(client->network_interface_names_cursor_array[i]));
+        }
+    }
+
     /* Set up body streaming ELG */
     {
         uint16_t num_event_loops =
@@ -579,34 +617,6 @@ struct aws_s3_client *aws_s3_client_new(
     *((bool *)&client->enable_read_backpressure) = client_config->enable_read_backpressure;
     *((size_t *)&client->initial_read_window) = client_config->initial_read_window;
 
-    client->num_network_interface_names = client_config->num_network_interface_names;
-    if (client_config->num_network_interface_names > 0) {
-        AWS_LOGF_DEBUG(
-            AWS_LS_S3_CLIENT,
-            "id=%p Client received network interface names array with length %zu.",
-            (void *)client,
-            client->num_network_interface_names);
-        aws_array_list_init_dynamic(
-            &client->network_interface_names,
-            client->allocator,
-            client_config->num_network_interface_names,
-            sizeof(struct aws_string *));
-        client->network_interface_names_cursor_array = aws_mem_calloc(
-            client->allocator, client_config->num_network_interface_names, sizeof(struct aws_byte_cursor));
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < client_config->num_network_interface_names; i++) {
-            struct aws_byte_cursor interface_name = client_config->network_interface_names_array[i];
-            struct aws_string *interface_name_str = aws_string_new_from_cursor(client->allocator, &interface_name);
-            aws_array_list_push_back(&client->network_interface_names, &interface_name_str);
-            client->network_interface_names_cursor_array[i] = aws_byte_cursor_from_string(interface_name_str);
-            AWS_LOGF_DEBUG(
-                AWS_LS_S3_CLIENT,
-                "id=%p network_interface_names_array[%zu]=" PRInSTR "",
-                (void *)client,
-                i,
-                AWS_BYTE_CURSOR_PRI(client->network_interface_names_cursor_array[i]));
-        }
-    }
-
     return client;
 
 on_error:
@@ -628,10 +638,22 @@ struct aws_s3_client *aws_s3_client_new(
     aws_mem_release(client->allocator, client->proxy_ev_settings);
     aws_mem_release(client->allocator, client->tcp_keep_alive_options);
 
-    aws_event_loop_group_release(client->client_bootstrap->event_loop_group);
+    if (client->client_bootstrap != NULL) {
+        aws_event_loop_group_release(client->client_bootstrap->event_loop_group);
+    }
     aws_client_bootstrap_release(client->client_bootstrap);
     aws_mutex_clean_up(&client->synced_data.lock);
-on_early_fail:
+
+    aws_mem_release(client->allocator, client->network_interface_names_cursor_array);
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < aws_array_list_length(&client->network_interface_names); i++) {
+        struct aws_string *interface_name = NULL;
+        aws_array_list_get_at(&client->network_interface_names, &interface_name, i);
+        aws_string_destroy(interface_name);
+    }
+
+    aws_array_list_clean_up(&client->network_interface_names);
+    aws_s3_buffer_pool_destroy(client->buffer_pool);
+
     aws_mem_release(client->allocator, client);
     return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 81462114..39ce8efb 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ add_test_case(test_s3_abort_multipart_upload_message_new)
 
 add_net_test_case(test_s3_client_create_destroy)
 add_net_test_case(test_s3_client_create_error)
+add_net_test_case(test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_memory_limit_config)
+add_net_test_case(test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_network_interface)
 add_net_test_case(test_s3_client_monitoring_options_override)
 add_net_test_case(test_s3_client_proxy_ev_settings_override)
 add_net_test_case(test_s3_client_tcp_keep_alive_options_override)
diff --git a/tests/s3_data_plane_tests.c b/tests/s3_data_plane_tests.c
index 1e7beb96..953fead0 100644
--- a/tests/s3_data_plane_tests.c
+++ b/tests/s3_data_plane_tests.c
@@ -77,6 +77,61 @@ static int s_test_s3_client_create_error(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *
     return 0;
 }
 
+AWS_TEST_CASE(
+    test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_memory_limit_config,
+    s_test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_memory_limit_config)
+static int s_test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_memory_limit_config(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *ctx) {
+    (void)ctx;
+
+    struct aws_s3_tester tester;
+    AWS_ZERO_STRUCT(tester);
+    ASSERT_SUCCESS(aws_s3_tester_init(allocator, &tester));
+
+    struct aws_s3_client_config client_config;
+    AWS_ZERO_STRUCT(client_config);
+    ASSERT_SUCCESS(aws_s3_tester_bind_client(&tester, &client_config, AWS_S3_TESTER_BIND_CLIENT_REGION));
+
+    client_config.memory_limit_in_bytes = 100;
+    struct aws_s3_client *client = aws_s3_client_new(allocator, &client_config);
+    ASSERT_TRUE(client == NULL);
+    client_config.memory_limit_in_bytes = GB_TO_BYTES(1);
+    client_config.max_part_size = GB_TO_BYTES(2);
+    client = aws_s3_client_new(allocator, &client_config);
+    ASSERT_TRUE(client == NULL);
+
+    tester.bound_to_client = false;
+    aws_s3_tester_clean_up(&tester);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+AWS_TEST_CASE(
+    test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_network_interface,
+    s_test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_network_interface)
+static int s_test_s3_client_create_error_with_invalid_network_interface(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *ctx) {
+    (void)ctx;
+
+    struct aws_s3_tester tester;
+    AWS_ZERO_STRUCT(tester);
+    ASSERT_SUCCESS(aws_s3_tester_init(allocator, &tester));
+
+    struct aws_s3_client_config client_config;
+    AWS_ZERO_STRUCT(client_config);
+    ASSERT_SUCCESS(aws_s3_tester_bind_client(&tester, &client_config, AWS_S3_TESTER_BIND_CLIENT_REGION));
+
+    struct aws_byte_cursor *interface_names_array = aws_mem_calloc(allocator, 1, sizeof(struct aws_byte_cursor));
+    interface_names_array[0] = aws_byte_cursor_from_c_str("invalid-nic");
+    client_config.network_interface_names_array = interface_names_array;
+    client_config.num_network_interface_names = 1;
+
+    struct aws_s3_client *client = aws_s3_client_new(allocator, &client_config);
+    ASSERT_TRUE(client == NULL);
+    tester.bound_to_client = false;
+
+    aws_s3_tester_clean_up(&tester);
+    aws_mem_release(allocator, interface_names_array);
+    return 0;
+}
+
 AWS_TEST_CASE(test_s3_client_monitoring_options_override, s_test_s3_client_monitoring_options_override)
 static int s_test_s3_client_monitoring_options_override(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *ctx) {
     (void)ctx;
diff --git a/tests/s3_mock_server_tests.c b/tests/s3_mock_server_tests.c
index 29aadda0..1bb4b5b5 100644
--- a/tests/s3_mock_server_tests.c
+++ b/tests/s3_mock_server_tests.c
@@ -169,16 +169,19 @@ TEST_CASE(multipart_upload_mock_server) {
 
 TEST_CASE(multipart_upload_with_network_interface_names_mock_server) {
     (void)ctx;
-
+#if defined(AWS_OS_WINDOWS)
+    (void)allocator;
+    return AWS_OP_SKIP;
+#else
     struct aws_s3_tester tester;
     ASSERT_SUCCESS(aws_s3_tester_init(allocator, &tester));
     struct aws_byte_cursor *interface_names_array = aws_mem_calloc(allocator, 2, sizeof(struct aws_byte_cursor));
     char *localhost_interface = "\0";
-#if defined(AWS_OS_APPLE)
+#    if defined(AWS_OS_APPLE)
     localhost_interface = "lo0";
-#else
+#    else
     localhost_interface = "lo";
-#endif
+#    endif
     interface_names_array[0] = aws_byte_cursor_from_c_str(localhost_interface);
     interface_names_array[1] = aws_byte_cursor_from_c_str(localhost_interface);
 
@@ -212,11 +215,11 @@ TEST_CASE(multipart_upload_with_network_interface_names_mock_server) {
     aws_s3_meta_request_test_results_init(&out_results, allocator);
     ASSERT_SUCCESS(aws_s3_tester_send_meta_request_with_options(&tester, &put_options, &out_results));
     if (out_results.finished_error_code != 0) {
-#if !defined(AWS_OS_APPLE) && !defined(AWS_OS_LINUX)
+#    if !defined(AWS_OS_APPLE) && !defined(AWS_OS_LINUX)
         if (out_results.finished_error_code == AWS_ERROR_PLATFORM_NOT_SUPPORTED) {
             return AWS_OP_SKIP;
         }
-#endif
+#    endif
         ASSERT_TRUE(false, "aws_s3_tester_send_meta_request_with_options(() failed");
     }
     aws_s3_meta_request_test_results_clean_up(&out_results);
@@ -225,6 +228,7 @@ TEST_CASE(multipart_upload_with_network_interface_names_mock_server) {
     aws_mem_release(allocator, interface_names_array);
 
     return AWS_OP_SUCCESS;
+#endif
 }
 
 TEST_CASE(multipart_upload_checksum_with_retry_mock_server) {