diff --git a/cmd/gean/main.go b/cmd/gean/main.go
index d1b514d..aab47c6 100644
--- a/cmd/gean/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gean/main.go
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ func main() {
 		logger.Error("failed to initialize node", "err", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+	defer n.Close()
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
diff --git a/node/lifecycle.go b/node/lifecycle.go
index a7d72c7..37f26f1 100644
--- a/node/lifecycle.go
+++ b/node/lifecycle.go
@@ -299,6 +299,10 @@ func loadValidatorKeys(log *slog.Logger, cfg Config) (map[uint64]forkchoice.Sign
 
 		kp, err := leansig.LoadKeypair(pkPath, skPath)
 		if err != nil {
+			// Clean up previously loaded keypairs to prevent Rust memory leaks.
+			// Modeled after zeam's errdefer keypair.deinit() pattern
+			// (cli/src/node.zig:433-469).
+			freeLoadedKeys(keys)
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load keypair for validator %d: %w", idx, err)
 		}
 		keys[idx] = kp
@@ -307,6 +311,16 @@ func loadValidatorKeys(log *slog.Logger, cfg Config) (map[uint64]forkchoice.Sign
 	return keys, nil
 }
 
+// freeLoadedKeys releases Rust-allocated XMSS keypairs from a partially
+// loaded key map. Called on error during loadValidatorKeys to prevent leaks.
+func freeLoadedKeys(keys map[uint64]forkchoice.Signer) {
+	for _, key := range keys {
+		if f, ok := key.(interface{ Free() }); ok {
+			f.Free()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func startMetrics(log *slog.Logger, cfg Config) {
 	if cfg.MetricsPort <= 0 {
 		return
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 3140f39..3935a0b 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -104,6 +104,14 @@ func (n *Node) Close() {
 	if n.API != nil {
 		n.API.Stop()
 	}
+	// Free Rust-allocated XMSS keypairs.
+	if n.Validator != nil {
+		for _, key := range n.Validator.Keys {
+			if f, ok := key.(interface{ Free() }); ok {
+				f.Free()
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	if n.dbCloser != nil {
 		n.dbCloser.Close()
 	}
diff --git a/xmss/leanmultisig/leanmultisig.go b/xmss/leanmultisig/leanmultisig.go
index d5899e4..74b05e6 100644
--- a/xmss/leanmultisig/leanmultisig.go
+++ b/xmss/leanmultisig/leanmultisig.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package leanmultisig
 import "C"
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
 	"sync"
 	"unsafe"
 )
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ func Aggregate(pubkeys, signatures [][]byte, messageHash [MessageHashLength]byte
 		&outData,
 		&outLen,
 	)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(messageHash)
 	if result != ResultOK {
 		return nil, resultError("leanmultisig_aggregate", result)
 	}
@@ -118,6 +120,8 @@ func VerifyAggregated(pubkeys [][]byte, messageHash [MessageHashLength]byte, pro
 		C.size_t(len(proofData)),
 		C.uint32_t(epoch),
 	)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(messageHash)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(proofData)
 	if result != ResultOK {
 		return resultError("leanmultisig_verify_aggregated", result)
 	}
diff --git a/xmss/leansig/leansig.go b/xmss/leansig/leansig.go
index bcfd2f3..3bad795 100644
--- a/xmss/leansig/leansig.go
+++ b/xmss/leansig/leansig.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package leansig
 import "C"
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
 	"unsafe"
 )
 
@@ -75,6 +76,8 @@ func RestoreKeypair(pkBytes []byte, skBytes []byte) (*Keypair, error) {
 	skLen := C.size_t(len(skBytes))
 
 	result := C.leansig_keypair_restore(pkPtr, pkLen, skPtr, skLen, &kpPtr)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(pkBytes)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(skBytes)
 	if result != ResultOK {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("leansig_keypair_restore failed with code %d", result)
 	}
@@ -184,6 +187,7 @@ func (kp *Keypair) Sign(epoch uint32, message [MessageLength]byte) ([]byte, erro
 		&sigData,
 		&sigLen,
 	)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(message)
 	if result != ResultOK {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("leansig_sign failed with code %d", result)
 	}
@@ -206,6 +210,9 @@ func Verify(pubkeyBytes []byte, epoch uint32, message [MessageLength]byte, sigBy
 		(*C.uint8_t)(unsafe.Pointer(&sigBytes[0])),
 		C.size_t(len(sigBytes)),
 	)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(pubkeyBytes)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(message)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(sigBytes)
 	if result == ResultOK {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -231,6 +238,8 @@ func (kp *Keypair) VerifyWithKeypair(epoch uint32, message [MessageLength]byte,
 		(*C.uint8_t)(unsafe.Pointer(&sigBytes[0])),
 		C.size_t(len(sigBytes)),
 	)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(message)
+	runtime.KeepAlive(sigBytes)
 	if result == ResultOK {
 		return nil
 	}