diff --git a/Modules/_bsddb.c b/Modules/_bsddb.c
index 6f323d52e3c..175dec3d49d 100644
--- a/Modules/_bsddb.c
+++ b/Modules/_bsddb.c
@@ -5024,14 +5024,20 @@ DBSequence_get_key(DBSequenceObject* self, PyObject* args)
 {
     int err;
     DBT key;
+    PyObject *retval;
+    key.flags = DB_DBT_MALLOC;
     CHECK_SEQUENCE_NOT_CLOSED(self)
     MYDB_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
     err = self->sequence->get_key(self->sequence, &key);
     MYDB_END_ALLOW_THREADS
 
+    if (!err)
+        retval = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize(key.data, key.size);
+
+    free_dbt(&key);
     RETURN_IF_ERR();
 
-    return PyBytes_FromStringAndSize(key.data, key.size);
+    return retval;
 }
 
 static PyObject*