diff --git a/peer.go b/peer.go
index 37d7ca57f0..8550b907f4 100644
--- a/peer.go
+++ b/peer.go
@@ -654,8 +654,6 @@ func (c *Peer) receiveChunk(msg *pp.Message) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	cl := t.cl
-
 	// Do we actually want this chunk?
 	if t.haveChunk(ppReq) {
 		// panic(fmt.Sprintf("%+v", ppReq))
@@ -692,9 +690,7 @@ func (c *Peer) receiveChunk(msg *pp.Message) error {
 		p.cancel(req)
 	}
 
-	err = func() error {
-		cl.unlock()
-		defer cl.lock()
+	go func() {
 		// Opportunistically do this here while we aren't holding the client lock.
 		recordBlockForSmartBan()
 		concurrentChunkWrites.Add(1)
@@ -704,9 +700,26 @@ func (c *Peer) receiveChunk(msg *pp.Message) error {
 		// because we want to handle errors synchronously and I haven't thought of a nice way to
 		// defer any concurrency to the storage and have that notify the client of errors. TODO: Do
 		// that instead.
-		return t.writeChunk(int(msg.Index), int64(msg.Begin), msg.Piece)
+		err := t.writeChunk(int(msg.Index), int64(msg.Begin), msg.Piece)
+		c.afterChunkWrite(err, msg)
 	}()
 
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *Peer) afterChunkWrite(err error, msg *pp.Message) {
+	t := c.t
+	cl := t.cl
+	ppReq := newRequestFromMessage(msg)
+	req := c.t.requestIndexFromRequest(ppReq)
+	piece := &t.pieces[ppReq.Index]
+
+	t.putChunkPool(msg.Piece)
+	concurrentChunkWrites.Add(-1)
+
+	cl.lock()
+	defer cl.unlock()
+
 	piece.decrementPendingWrites()
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -717,7 +730,7 @@ func (c *Peer) receiveChunk(msg *pp.Message) error {
 		// fresh update after pending the failed request.
 		c.updateRequests("Peer.receiveChunk error writing chunk")
 		t.onWriteChunkErr(err)
-		return nil
+		return
 	}
 
 	c.onDirtiedPiece(pieceIndex(ppReq.Index))
@@ -734,8 +747,6 @@ func (c *Peer) receiveChunk(msg *pp.Message) error {
 	cl.event.Broadcast()
 	// We do this because we've written a chunk, and may change PieceState.Partial.
 	t.publishPieceStateChange(pieceIndex(ppReq.Index))
-
-	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Peer) onDirtiedPiece(piece pieceIndex) {
diff --git a/peerconn.go b/peerconn.go
index 232da671be..463260a89a 100644
--- a/peerconn.go
+++ b/peerconn.go
@@ -836,10 +836,9 @@ func (c *PeerConn) mainReadLoop() (err error) {
 		case pp.Piece:
 			c.doChunkReadStats(int64(len(msg.Piece)))
 			err = c.receiveChunk(&msg)
-			if len(msg.Piece) == int(t.chunkSize) {
-				t.chunkPool.Put(&msg.Piece)
-			}
 			if err != nil {
+				// receiveChunk only does this if it doesn't error.
+				t.putChunkPool(msg.Piece)
 				err = fmt.Errorf("receiving chunk: %w", err)
 			}
 		case pp.Cancel:
diff --git a/torrent.go b/torrent.go
index 757a180c7f..2044003a67 100644
--- a/torrent.go
+++ b/torrent.go
@@ -3175,3 +3175,9 @@ func (t *Torrent) getFileByPiecesRoot(hash [32]byte) *File {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (t *Torrent) putChunkPool(b []byte) {
+	if len(b) == int(t.chunkSize) {
+		t.chunkPool.Put(&b)
+	}
+}