diff --git a/src/H5Tcommit.c b/src/H5Tcommit.c
index 56b22042d66..d64c4e82439 100644
--- a/src/H5Tcommit.c
+++ b/src/H5Tcommit.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ static herr_t H5T__commit_api_common(hid_t loc_id, const char *name, hid_t type_
 static hid_t  H5T__open_api_common(hid_t loc_id, const char *name, hid_t tapl_id, void **token_ptr,
                                    H5VL_object_t **_vol_obj_ptr);
 static H5T_t *H5T__open_oid(const H5G_loc_t *loc);
+static herr_t H5T_destruct_datatype(void *datatype, H5VL_t *vol_connector);
 
 /*********************/
 /* Public Variables */
@@ -662,7 +663,7 @@ H5T__open_api_common(hid_t loc_id, const char *name, hid_t tapl_id, void **token
 done:
     /* Cleanup on error */
     if (H5I_INVALID_HID == ret_value)
-        if (dt && H5VL_datatype_close(*vol_obj_ptr, H5P_DATASET_XFER_DEFAULT, H5_REQUEST_NULL) < 0)
+        if (dt && H5T_destruct_datatype(dt, (*vol_obj_ptr)->connector) < 0)
             HDONE_ERROR(H5E_DATATYPE, H5E_CLOSEERROR, H5I_INVALID_HID, "unable to release datatype");
 
     FUNC_LEAVE_NOAPI(ret_value)
@@ -1260,6 +1261,41 @@ H5T_construct_datatype(H5VL_object_t *vol_obj)
     FUNC_LEAVE_NOAPI(ret_value)
 } /* end H5T_construct_datatype() */
 
+/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Function:    H5T_destruct_datatype
+ *
+ * Purpose:     Helper function to free a committed datatype object that
+ *              hasn't yet been wrapped within a VOL object. This usually
+ *              happens when a failure occurs during opening a committed
+ *              datatype. When this happens, the datatype must be wrapped
+ *              inside a temporary VOL object in order to route the close
+ *              operation through the stack of VOL connectors.
+ *
+ * Return:      Non-negative on success/Negative on failure
+ *
+ *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ */
+static herr_t
+H5T_destruct_datatype(void *datatype, H5VL_t *vol_connector)
+{
+    H5VL_object_t *vol_obj   = NULL;
+    herr_t         ret_value = FAIL;
+
+    FUNC_ENTER_NOAPI(FAIL)
+
+    if (NULL == (vol_obj = H5VL_create_object(datatype, vol_connector)))
+        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_DATATYPE, H5E_CANTALLOC, FAIL, "can't create VOL object for committed datatype");
+
+    if (H5VL_datatype_close(vol_obj, H5P_DATASET_XFER_DEFAULT, H5_REQUEST_NULL) < 0)
+        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_DATATYPE, H5E_CLOSEERROR, FAIL, "unable to release datatype");
+
+done:
+    if (vol_obj && H5VL_free_object(vol_obj) < 0)
+        HDONE_ERROR(H5E_DATATYPE, H5E_CANTFREE, FAIL, "can't free VOL object");
+
+    FUNC_LEAVE_NOAPI(ret_value)
+} /* end H5T_destruct_datatype() */
+
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Function:    H5T_get_named_type
  *
diff --git a/src/H5VLint.c b/src/H5VLint.c
index 4c7b38af521..a40d64e3ac4 100644
--- a/src/H5VLint.c
+++ b/src/H5VLint.c
@@ -578,6 +578,12 @@ H5VL__new_vol_obj(H5I_type_t type, void *object, H5VL_t *vol_connector, bool wra
     if (NULL == ret_value) {
         if (conn_rc_incr && H5VL_conn_dec_rc(vol_connector) < 0)
             HDONE_ERROR(H5E_VOL, H5E_CANTDEC, NULL, "unable to decrement ref count on VOL connector");
+
+        if (new_vol_obj) {
+            if (wrap_obj && new_vol_obj->data)
+                (void)H5VL_object_unwrap(new_vol_obj);
+            (void)H5FL_FREE(H5VL_object_t, new_vol_obj);
+        }
     } /* end if */
 
     FUNC_LEAVE_NOAPI(ret_value)
@@ -698,7 +704,7 @@ H5VL_register(H5I_type_t type, void *object, H5VL_t *vol_connector, bool app_ref
     /* Set up VOL object for the passed-in data */
     /* (Does not wrap object, since it's from a VOL callback) */
     if (NULL == (vol_obj = H5VL__new_vol_obj(type, object, vol_connector, false)))
-        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_VOL, H5E_CANTCREATE, FAIL, "can't create VOL object");
+        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_VOL, H5E_CANTCREATE, H5I_INVALID_HID, "can't create VOL object");
 
     /* Register VOL object as _object_ type, for future object API calls */
     if ((ret_value = H5I_register(type, vol_obj, app_ref)) < 0)