diff --git a/libs/sofia-sip/libsofia-sip-ua/su/su_alloc.c b/libs/sofia-sip/libsofia-sip-ua/su/su_alloc.c
index b75f4f931d..f42514728d 100644
--- a/libs/sofia-sip/libsofia-sip-ua/su/su_alloc.c
+++ b/libs/sofia-sip/libsofia-sip-ua/su/su_alloc.c
@@ -1019,8 +1019,15 @@ void _su_home_deinit(su_home_t *home)
 
     home->suh_blocks = NULL;
 
-    if (home->suh_lock)
+    if (home->suh_lock) {
+#ifdef WIN32
+      UNLOCK(home); /* we must unlock here or windows leaks handles on the next call because the mutex is locked */
+#endif
+/* "In the LinuxThreads implementation, no resources are associated with mutex objects,
+   thus pthread_mutex_destroy actually does nothing except checking that the mutex is unlocked. "
+   In the Windows pthread implementation we must free the handles that are allocated */
       _su_home_destroy_mutexes(home->suh_lock);
+    }
   }
 
   home->suh_lock = NULL;