diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/Merger.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/Merger.java
index 38a8b8eae..d95b11159 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/Merger.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/Merger.java
@@ -148,7 +148,12 @@ public boolean merge(final AnyObjectId[] tips) throws IOException {
 		for (int i = 0; i < sourceObjects.length; i++)
 			sourceTrees[i] = walk.parseTree(sourceObjects[i]);
 
-		return mergeImpl();
+		try {
+			return mergeImpl();
+		} finally {
+			if (inserter != null)
+				inserter.release();
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/StrategySimpleTwoWayInCore.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/StrategySimpleTwoWayInCore.java
index aa2321b4a..891abe058 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/StrategySimpleTwoWayInCore.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/StrategySimpleTwoWayInCore.java
@@ -154,15 +154,8 @@ else if (tw.isSubtree()) {
 				return false;
 			try {
 				ObjectInserter odi = getObjectInserter();
-				try {
-					resultTree = cache.writeTree(odi);
-					odi.flush();
-				} finally {
-					// We don't know if our caller will release the
-					// inserter, so make sure we do it ourselves.
-					//
-					odi.release();
-				}
+				resultTree = cache.writeTree(odi);
+				odi.flush();
 				return true;
 			} catch (UnmergedPathException upe) {
 				resultTree = null;