diff --git a/ldms/src/store/avro_kafka/store_avro_kafka.c b/ldms/src/store/avro_kafka/store_avro_kafka.c
index 809f9cc55..e78c25d81 100644
--- a/ldms/src/store/avro_kafka/store_avro_kafka.c
+++ b/ldms/src/store/avro_kafka/store_avro_kafka.c
@@ -690,40 +690,33 @@ static int set_avro_value_from_col(avro_value_t *col_value,
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static int serialize_row_as_avro(serdes_t *serdes,
-				 serdes_schema_t *serdes_schema,
-				 ldmsd_row_t row, avro_value_t *avro)
+static int serialize_columns_of_row(avro_schema_t schema,
+                                    ldmsd_row_t row, avro_value_t *avro_row)
 {
 	int rc, i;
 	ldmsd_col_t col;
-	avro_schema_t schema = serdes_schema_avro(serdes_schema);
-	avro_value_iface_t  *class =
-	    avro_generic_class_from_schema(schema);
-
-	avro_value_t avro_row, avro_col;
-	avro_generic_value_new(class, &avro_row);
+	avro_value_t avro_col;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < row->col_count; i++) {
 		char *avro_name;
 		col = &row->cols[i];
 		avro_name = ldmsd_avro_name_get(col->name);
-		rc = avro_value_get_by_name(&avro_row, avro_name,
+		rc = avro_value_get_by_name(avro_row, avro_name,
 					    &avro_col, NULL);
 		free(avro_name);
 		if (rc) {
-			LOG_ERROR("Error %d retrieving '%s' "
-				"from '%s' schema\n", rc, col->name, avro_schema_name(schema));
+			LOG_ERROR("Error %d retrieving '%s' from '%s' schema\n",
+                                  rc, col->name, avro_schema_name(schema));
 			continue;
 		}
 		rc = set_avro_value_from_col(&avro_col, col);
 	}
 #ifdef AVRO_KAFKA_DEBUG
 	char *json_buf;
-	avro_value_to_json(&avro_row, 0, &json_buf);
+	avro_value_to_json(avro_row, 0, &json_buf);
 	fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", json_buf);
 	free(json_buf);
 #endif
-	*avro = avro_row;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -919,8 +912,11 @@ static char *get_topic_name(aks_handle_t sh, ldms_set_t set, ldmsd_row_t row)
 static int row_to_avro_payload(aks_handle_t sh, ldmsd_row_t row,
                                void **payload, size_t *sizep)
 {
-        avro_value_t avro_value;
         serdes_schema_t *serdes_schema;
+        avro_schema_t schema;
+        avro_value_iface_t *class;
+        avro_value_t avro_row;
+
         char errstr[512];
         int rc = 0;
 
@@ -928,23 +924,31 @@ static int row_to_avro_payload(aks_handle_t sh, ldmsd_row_t row,
         if (!serdes_schema) {
                 LOG_ERROR("A serdes schema for '%s' could not be "
                           "constructed.\n", row->schema_name);
-                return 1;
+                rc = 1;
+                goto out1;
         }
+        schema = serdes_schema_avro(serdes_schema);
+        class = avro_generic_class_from_schema(schema);
+        avro_generic_value_new(class, &avro_row);
+
         /* Encode ldmsd_row_s as an Avro value */
-        rc = serialize_row_as_avro(sh->serdes, serdes_schema, row, &avro_value);
+        rc = serialize_columns_of_row(schema, row, &avro_row);
         if (rc) {
                 LOG_ERROR("Failed to format row as Avro value, error: %d\n", rc);
-                return rc;
+                goto out2;
         }
         /* Serialize an Avro value into a buffer */
-        if (serdes_schema_serialize_avro(serdes_schema, &avro_value,
+        if (serdes_schema_serialize_avro(serdes_schema, &avro_row,
                                          payload, sizep,
                                          errstr, sizeof(errstr))) {
                 LOG_ERROR("Failed to serialize Avro row: '%s'\n", errstr);
                 rc = 1;
+                goto out2;
         }
-        avro_value_decref(&avro_value);
-
+out2:
+        avro_value_decref(&avro_row);
+        avro_value_iface_decref(class);
+out1:
         return rc;
 }