diff --git a/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_engine.c b/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_engine.c
index 2eb63b8df56..9280b774491 100644
--- a/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_engine.c
+++ b/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_engine.c
@@ -875,8 +875,8 @@ int lwm2m_socket_start(struct lwm2m_ctx *client_ctx)
 	} else if ((client_ctx->remote_addr).sa_family == AF_INET6) {
 		addr_len = sizeof(struct sockaddr_in6);
 	} else {
-		lwm2m_engine_stop(client_ctx);
-		return -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
+		ret = -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
+		goto error;
 	}
 
 	if (zsock_connect(client_ctx->sock_fd, &client_ctx->remote_addr, addr_len) < 0) {
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ int lwm2m_socket_start(struct lwm2m_ctx *client_ctx)
 	LOG_INF("Connected, sock id %d", client_ctx->sock_fd);
 	return 0;
 error:
-	lwm2m_engine_stop(client_ctx);
+	lwm2m_socket_close(client_ctx);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_rd_client.c b/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_rd_client.c
index 417c5bb65ad..65af3130100 100644
--- a/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_rd_client.c
+++ b/subsys/net/lib/lwm2m/lwm2m_rd_client.c
@@ -1219,6 +1219,7 @@ static void sm_do_network_error(void)
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_LWM2M_RD_CLIENT_SUPPORT_BOOTSTRAP)
 	if (client.ctx->bootstrap_mode) {
+		lwm2m_engine_context_close(client.ctx);
 		set_sm_state(ENGINE_DO_BOOTSTRAP_REG);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -1226,6 +1227,7 @@ static void sm_do_network_error(void)
 
 	if (!client.last_update || (k_uptime_get() - client.last_update) / 1000 > client.lifetime) {
 		/* do full registration as there is no active registration or lifetime exceeded */
+		lwm2m_engine_context_close(client.ctx);
 		set_sm_state(ENGINE_DO_REGISTRATION);
 		return;
 	}