diff --git a/db/db_impl.cc b/db/db_impl.cc
index cd727b6c3..8c8ababb6 100644
--- a/db/db_impl.cc
+++ b/db/db_impl.cc
@@ -894,6 +894,7 @@ InternalIterator* DBImpl::NewInternalIterator(
                                                          range_del_agg);
     }
   }
+  TEST_SYNC_POINT_CALLBACK("DBImpl::NewInternalIterator:StatusCallback", &s);
   if (s.ok()) {
     // Collect iterators for files in L0 - Ln
     if (read_options.read_tier != kMemtableTier) {
@@ -907,8 +908,10 @@ InternalIterator* DBImpl::NewInternalIterator(
     internal_iter->RegisterCleanup(CleanupIteratorState, cleanup, nullptr);
 
     return internal_iter;
+  } else {
+    CleanupSuperVersion(super_version);
   }
-  return NewErrorInternalIterator(s);
+  return NewErrorInternalIterator(s, arena);
 }
 
 ColumnFamilyHandle* DBImpl::DefaultColumnFamily() const {
@@ -1819,21 +1822,23 @@ SuperVersion* DBImpl::GetAndRefSuperVersion(uint32_t column_family_id) {
   return GetAndRefSuperVersion(cfd);
 }
 
+void DBImpl::CleanupSuperVersion(SuperVersion* sv) {
+  // Release SuperVersion
+  if (sv->Unref()) {
+    {
+      InstrumentedMutexLock l(&mutex_);
+      sv->Cleanup();
+    }
+    delete sv;
+    RecordTick(stats_, NUMBER_SUPERVERSION_CLEANUPS);
+  }
+  RecordTick(stats_, NUMBER_SUPERVERSION_RELEASES);
+}
+
 void DBImpl::ReturnAndCleanupSuperVersion(ColumnFamilyData* cfd,
                                           SuperVersion* sv) {
-  bool unref_sv = !cfd->ReturnThreadLocalSuperVersion(sv);
-
-  if (unref_sv) {
-    // Release SuperVersion
-    if (sv->Unref()) {
-      {
-        InstrumentedMutexLock l(&mutex_);
-        sv->Cleanup();
-      }
-      delete sv;
-      RecordTick(stats_, NUMBER_SUPERVERSION_CLEANUPS);
-    }
-    RecordTick(stats_, NUMBER_SUPERVERSION_RELEASES);
+  if (!cfd->ReturnThreadLocalSuperVersion(sv)) {
+    CleanupSuperVersion(sv);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/db/db_impl.h b/db/db_impl.h
index 067a2f591..30866fba1 100644
--- a/db/db_impl.h
+++ b/db/db_impl.h
@@ -477,6 +477,9 @@ class DBImpl : public DB {
   // mutex is held.
   SuperVersion* GetAndRefSuperVersion(uint32_t column_family_id);
 
+  // Un-reference the super version and clean it up if it is the last reference.
+  void CleanupSuperVersion(SuperVersion* sv);
+
   // Un-reference the super version and return it to thread local cache if
   // needed. If it is the last reference of the super version. Clean it up
   // after un-referencing it.
diff --git a/db/db_iterator_test.cc b/db/db_iterator_test.cc
index 7828d39b2..e7a3534e3 100644
--- a/db/db_iterator_test.cc
+++ b/db/db_iterator_test.cc
@@ -1997,6 +1997,19 @@ TEST_F(DBIteratorTest, Refresh) {
   iter.reset();
 }
 
+TEST_F(DBIteratorTest, CreationFailure) {
+  SyncPoint::GetInstance()->SetCallBack(
+      "DBImpl::NewInternalIterator:StatusCallback", [](void* arg) {
+        *(reinterpret_cast<Status*>(arg)) = Status::Corruption("test status");
+      });
+  SyncPoint::GetInstance()->EnableProcessing();
+
+  Iterator* iter = db_->NewIterator(ReadOptions());
+  ASSERT_FALSE(iter->Valid());
+  ASSERT_TRUE(iter->status().IsCorruption());
+  delete iter;
+}
+
 }  // namespace rocksdb
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
diff --git a/table/merging_iterator.cc b/table/merging_iterator.cc
index d48f8ebc9..99a867fe7 100644
--- a/table/merging_iterator.cc
+++ b/table/merging_iterator.cc
@@ -387,10 +387,20 @@ MergeIteratorBuilder::MergeIteratorBuilder(
       new (mem) MergingIterator(comparator, nullptr, 0, true, prefix_seek_mode);
 }
 
+MergeIteratorBuilder::~MergeIteratorBuilder() {
+  if (first_iter != nullptr) {
+    first_iter->~InternalIterator();
+  }
+  if (merge_iter != nullptr) {
+    merge_iter->~MergingIterator();
+  }
+}
+
 void MergeIteratorBuilder::AddIterator(InternalIterator* iter) {
   if (!use_merging_iter && first_iter != nullptr) {
     merge_iter->AddIterator(first_iter);
     use_merging_iter = true;
+    first_iter = nullptr;
   }
   if (use_merging_iter) {
     merge_iter->AddIterator(iter);
@@ -400,13 +410,15 @@ void MergeIteratorBuilder::AddIterator(InternalIterator* iter) {
 }
 
 InternalIterator* MergeIteratorBuilder::Finish() {
+  InternalIterator* ret = nullptr;
   if (!use_merging_iter) {
-    return first_iter;
+    ret = first_iter;
+    first_iter = nullptr;
   } else {
-    auto ret = merge_iter;
+    ret = merge_iter;
     merge_iter = nullptr;
-    return ret;
   }
+  return ret;
 }
 
 }  // namespace rocksdb
diff --git a/table/merging_iterator.h b/table/merging_iterator.h
index 0509d1dce..04fcf421d 100644
--- a/table/merging_iterator.h
+++ b/table/merging_iterator.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class MergeIteratorBuilder {
   // arena: where the merging iterator needs to be allocated from.
   explicit MergeIteratorBuilder(const InternalKeyComparator* comparator,
                                 Arena* arena, bool prefix_seek_mode = false);
-  ~MergeIteratorBuilder() {}
+  ~MergeIteratorBuilder();
 
   // Add iter to the merging iterator.
   void AddIterator(InternalIterator* iter);