diff --git a/src/node_http2.cc b/src/node_http2.cc
index 67306e1f4db3e3..9811c94c329d0d 100644
--- a/src/node_http2.cc
+++ b/src/node_http2.cc
@@ -1137,8 +1137,7 @@ inline void Http2Session::HandleHeadersFrame(const nghttp2_frame* frame) {
   if (stream->IsDestroyed())
     return;
 
-  nghttp2_header* headers = stream->headers();
-  size_t count = stream->headers_count();
+  std::vector<nghttp2_header> headers(stream->move_headers());
 
   Local<String> name_str;
   Local<String> value_str;
@@ -1155,9 +1154,9 @@ inline void Http2Session::HandleHeadersFrame(const nghttp2_frame* frame) {
   // this way for performance reasons (it's faster to generate and pass an
   // array than it is to generate and pass the object).
   size_t n = 0;
-  while (count > 0) {
+  while (n < headers.size()) {
     size_t j = 0;
-    while (count > 0 && j < arraysize(argv) / 2) {
+    while (n < headers.size() && j < arraysize(argv) / 2) {
       nghttp2_header item = headers[n++];
       // The header name and value are passed as external one-byte strings
       name_str =
@@ -1166,7 +1165,6 @@ inline void Http2Session::HandleHeadersFrame(const nghttp2_frame* frame) {
           ExternalHeader::New<false>(env(), item.value).ToLocalChecked();
       argv[j * 2] = name_str;
       argv[j * 2 + 1] = value_str;
-      count--;
       j++;
     }
     // For performance, we pass name and value pairs to array.protototype.push
@@ -1782,6 +1780,11 @@ Http2Stream::Http2Stream(
 
 
 Http2Stream::~Http2Stream() {
+  for (nghttp2_header& header : current_headers_) {
+    nghttp2_rcbuf_decref(header.name);
+    nghttp2_rcbuf_decref(header.value);
+  }
+
   if (session_ == nullptr)
     return;
   DEBUG_HTTP2STREAM(this, "tearing down stream");
diff --git a/src/node_http2.h b/src/node_http2.h
index 67af832eff78b7..a35dbf468afa43 100644
--- a/src/node_http2.h
+++ b/src/node_http2.h
@@ -653,18 +653,14 @@ class Http2Stream : public AsyncWrap,
                         nghttp2_rcbuf* value,
                         uint8_t flags);
 
-  inline nghttp2_header* headers() {
-    return current_headers_.data();
+  inline std::vector<nghttp2_header> move_headers() {
+    return std::move(current_headers_);
   }
 
   inline nghttp2_headers_category headers_category() const {
     return current_headers_category_;
   }
 
-  inline size_t headers_count() const {
-    return current_headers_.size();
-  }
-
   void StartHeaders(nghttp2_headers_category category);
 
   // Required for StreamBase