diff --git a/src/libCom/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c b/src/libCom/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c
index 4afc86841..bceedc1be 100644
--- a/src/libCom/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c
+++ b/src/libCom/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ static void createFunction(EPICSTHREADFUNC func, void *parm)
     /*Make sure that papTSD is still 0 after that call to taskVarAdd*/
     papTSD = 0;
     (*func)(parm);
-    taskVarDelete(tid,(int *)&papTSD);
     free(papTSD);
+    taskVarDelete(tid,(int *)&papTSD);
 }
 
 epicsThreadId epicsThreadCreate(const char *name,