diff --git a/sys/dev/e1000/if_em.c b/sys/dev/e1000/if_em.c
--- a/sys/dev/e1000/if_em.c
+++ b/sys/dev/e1000/if_em.c
@@ -1102,10 +1102,11 @@
 	struct adapter *adapter = iflib_get_softc(ctx);
 	struct e1000_hw *hw = &adapter->hw;
 	int error = 0;
-	
+
 	/* Setup OS specific network interface */
 	error = em_setup_interface(ctx);
 	if (error != 0) {
+		device_printf(adapter->dev, "Interface setup failed: %d\n", error);
 		goto err_late;
 	}
 
@@ -1123,14 +1124,10 @@
 
 	INIT_DEBUGOUT("em_if_attach_post: end");
 
-	return (error);
+	return (0);
 
 err_late:
-	em_release_hw_control(adapter);
-	em_free_pci_resources(ctx);
-	em_if_queues_free(ctx);
-	free(adapter->mta, M_DEVBUF);
-
+	/* upon attach_post() error, iflib calls _if_detach() to free resources. */
 	return (error);
 }
 
@@ -1155,6 +1152,8 @@
 	em_release_manageability(adapter);
 	em_release_hw_control(adapter);
 	em_free_pci_resources(ctx);
+	free(adapter->mta, M_DEVBUF);
+	adapter->mta = NULL;
 
 	return (0);
 }
@@ -2981,12 +2980,6 @@
 		free(adapter->rx_queues, M_DEVBUF);
 		adapter->rx_queues = NULL;
 	}
-
-	em_release_hw_control(adapter);
-
-	if (adapter->mta != NULL) {
-		free(adapter->mta, M_DEVBUF);
-	}
 }
 
 /*********************************************************************
diff --git a/sys/dev/ixl/if_ixl.c b/sys/dev/ixl/if_ixl.c
--- a/sys/dev/ixl/if_ixl.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ixl/if_ixl.c
@@ -1253,7 +1253,7 @@
 	struct ixl_pf *pf = iflib_get_softc(ctx);
 	struct ixl_vsi *vsi = &pf->vsi;
 
-	if (!vsi->enable_head_writeback) {
+	if (vsi->tx_queues != NULL && !vsi->enable_head_writeback) {
 		struct ixl_tx_queue *que;
 		int i = 0;
 
diff --git a/sys/net/iflib.c b/sys/net/iflib.c
--- a/sys/net/iflib.c
+++ b/sys/net/iflib.c
@@ -4900,7 +4900,7 @@
 		device_printf(dev,
 		    "Cannot use iflib with only 1 MSI-X interrupt!\n");
 		err = ENODEV;
-		goto fail_intr_free;
+		goto fail_queues;
 	}
 
 	ether_ifattach(ctx->ifc_ifp, ctx->ifc_mac.octet);
@@ -4936,13 +4936,14 @@
 
 fail_detach:
 	ether_ifdetach(ctx->ifc_ifp);
-fail_intr_free:
-	iflib_free_intr_mem(ctx);
 fail_queues:
+	iflib_tqg_detach(ctx);
 	iflib_tx_structures_free(ctx);
 	iflib_rx_structures_free(ctx);
-	iflib_tqg_detach(ctx);
 	IFDI_DETACH(ctx);
+	IFDI_QUEUES_FREE(ctx);
+fail_intr_free:
+	iflib_free_intr_mem(ctx);
 fail_unlock:
 	CTX_UNLOCK(ctx);
 	iflib_deregister(ctx);
@@ -5139,11 +5140,12 @@
 fail_detach:
 	ether_ifdetach(ctx->ifc_ifp);
 fail_queues:
+	iflib_tqg_detach(ctx);
 	iflib_tx_structures_free(ctx);
 	iflib_rx_structures_free(ctx);
-	iflib_tqg_detach(ctx);
 fail_iflib_detach:
 	IFDI_DETACH(ctx);
+	IFDI_QUEUES_FREE(ctx);
 fail_unlock:
 	CTX_UNLOCK(ctx);
 	iflib_deregister(ctx);
@@ -5173,6 +5175,8 @@
 	iflib_tqg_detach(ctx);
 	iflib_tx_structures_free(ctx);
 	iflib_rx_structures_free(ctx);
+	IFDI_DETACH(ctx);
+	IFDI_QUEUES_FREE(ctx);
 
 	iflib_deregister(ctx);
 
@@ -5233,8 +5237,12 @@
 		led_destroy(ctx->ifc_led_dev);
 
 	iflib_tqg_detach(ctx);
+	iflib_tx_structures_free(ctx);
+	iflib_rx_structures_free(ctx);
+
 	CTX_LOCK(ctx);
 	IFDI_DETACH(ctx);
+	IFDI_QUEUES_FREE(ctx);
 	CTX_UNLOCK(ctx);
 
 	/* ether_ifdetach calls if_qflush - lock must be destroy afterwards*/
@@ -5242,9 +5250,6 @@
 
 	bus_generic_detach(dev);
 
-	iflib_tx_structures_free(ctx);
-	iflib_rx_structures_free(ctx);
-
 	iflib_deregister(ctx);
 
 	device_set_softc(ctx->ifc_dev, NULL);
@@ -5828,7 +5833,6 @@
 	}
 	free(ctx->ifc_txqs, M_IFLIB);
 	ctx->ifc_txqs = NULL;
-	IFDI_QUEUES_FREE(ctx);
 }
 
 /*********************************************************************