diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc
index d7b016c7d8..783e6ee2e2 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc
@@ -91,5 +91,13 @@ Linker::Root_object::Root_object(Env &env, Allocator &md_alloc,
 	new (md_alloc) Dependency(env, md_alloc, linker_name(), this, _deps, DONT_KEEP);
 
 	/* relocate and call constructors */
-	Init::list()->initialize(bind, STAGE_SO);
+	try {
+		Init::list()->initialize(bind, STAGE_SO);
+	} catch (...) {
+		Init::list()->flush();
+		while (Dependency *d = _deps.dequeue())
+			destroy(_md_alloc, d);
+
+		throw;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/init.h b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/init.h
index aaf5688275..ae6558455b 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/init.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/init.h
@@ -132,6 +132,15 @@ struct Linker::Init : List<Object>
 
 		in_progress = false;
 	}
+
+	void flush()
+	{
+		while (Object *obj = first())
+			remove(obj);
+
+		in_progress = false;
+		restart     = false;
+	}
 };
 
 #endif /* _INCLUDE__INIT_H_ */