diff --git a/quickjs.c b/quickjs.c
index af401ae37..8922d6c9e 100644
--- a/quickjs.c
+++ b/quickjs.c
@@ -31686,6 +31686,35 @@ static int js_inner_module_linking(JSContext *ctx, JSModuleDef *m,
     return -1;
 }
 
+/* Release the variable references taken by a failed link of 'm', so
+   that linking it again does not leak them. */
+static void js_reset_module_var_refs(JSContext *ctx, JSModuleDef *m)
+{
+    JSVarRef **var_refs;
+    JSObject *p;
+    int i;
+
+    if (m->init_func != NULL)
+        return; /* the exports of a C module are not set by linking */
+    p = JS_VALUE_GET_OBJ(m->func_obj);
+    var_refs = p->u.func.var_refs;
+    for(i = 0; i < m->import_entries_count; i++) {
+        JSImportEntry *mi = &m->import_entries[i];
+        /* a namespace import is a variable of the module itself */
+        if (mi->import_name != JS_ATOM__star_) {
+            free_var_ref(ctx->rt, var_refs[mi->var_idx]);
+            var_refs[mi->var_idx] = NULL;
+        }
+    }
+    for(i = 0; i < m->export_entries_count; i++) {
+        JSExportEntry *me = &m->export_entries[i];
+        if (me->export_type == JS_EXPORT_TYPE_LOCAL) {
+            free_var_ref(ctx->rt, me->u.local.var_ref);
+            me->u.local.var_ref = NULL;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /* Prepare a module to be executed by resolving all the imported
    variables. */
 static int js_link_module(JSContext *ctx, JSModuleDef *m)
@@ -31708,6 +31737,7 @@ static int js_link_module(JSContext *ctx, JSModuleDef *m)
             m1 = stack_top;
             assert(m1->status == JS_MODULE_STATUS_LINKING);
             m1->status = JS_MODULE_STATUS_UNLINKED;
+            js_reset_module_var_refs(ctx, m1);
             stack_top = m1->stack_prev;
         }
         return -1;
diff --git a/tests.conf b/tests.conf
index 192656e0b..6e2b21b11 100644
--- a/tests.conf
+++ b/tests.conf
@@ -16,3 +16,5 @@ tests/fixture_throwing_module.js
 tests/fixture_reexport_source.js
 tests/fixture_reexport_missing.js
 tests/fixture_reexport_direct.js
+tests/fixture_link_fail_a.js
+tests/fixture_link_fail_b.js
diff --git a/tests/bug1833.js b/tests/bug1833.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..78f4d45ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bug1833.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// https://github.com/quickjs-ng/quickjs/issues/1833
+// A module whose linking fails is reset to unlinked and linked again by the
+// next import. The variable references taken by the failed link must be
+// released, otherwise they leak and JS_FreeRuntime asserts in debug builds.
+import { assert } from "./assert.js";
+
+const results = await Promise.allSettled([
+    import("./fixture_link_fail_a.js"),
+    import("./fixture_link_fail_a.js"),
+]);
+for (const r of results) {
+    assert(r.status, "rejected");
+    assert(r.reason instanceof SyntaxError);
+}
diff --git a/tests/fixture_link_fail_a.js b/tests/fixture_link_fail_a.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..691fc28f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixture_link_fail_a.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// Linking fails on the last import, after the other imports of this module
+// and the imports and exports of fixture_link_fail_b.js have been resolved.
+import { b, ns } from "./fixture_link_fail_b.js";
+import { missing } from "./fixture_link_fail_b.js";
+export const a = 1;
diff --git a/tests/fixture_link_fail_b.js b/tests/fixture_link_fail_b.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fccbc41ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixture_link_fail_b.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import { a } from "./fixture_link_fail_a.js";
+export const b = 2;
+export * as ns from "./fixture_reexport_source.js";