diff --git a/src/V3Error.cpp b/src/V3Error.cpp
index 10d76ef09..572d97bd2 100644
--- a/src/V3Error.cpp
+++ b/src/V3Error.cpp
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ void V3ErrorGuarded::v3errorEndGuts(const std::ostringstream& sstr, const string
                     }
                     if (debug()) {
                         execErrorExitCb();
-                        V3Stats::statsFinalAll(v3Global.rootp());
+                        V3Stats::statsStageAll(v3Global.rootp(), "Final");
                         V3Stats::statsReport();
                     }
                     vlAbortOrExit();
diff --git a/src/V3Stats.cpp b/src/V3Stats.cpp
index a1ad5edb2..fd445e469 100644
--- a/src/V3Stats.cpp
+++ b/src/V3Stats.cpp
@@ -193,5 +193,3 @@ public:
 void V3Stats::statsStageAll(AstNetlist* nodep, const std::string& stage, bool fastOnly) {
     StatsVisitor{nodep, stage, fastOnly};
 }
-
-void V3Stats::statsFinalAll(AstNetlist* nodep) { statsStageAll(nodep, "Final"); }
diff --git a/src/V3Stats.h b/src/V3Stats.h
index d035aeeeb..84d023296 100644
--- a/src/V3Stats.h
+++ b/src/V3Stats.h
@@ -147,9 +147,8 @@ public:
     }
     /// Called each stage
     static void statsStage(const string& name);
-    /// Called by the top level to collect statistics
+    /// Called by the top level, and error path, to collect statistics
     static void statsStageAll(AstNetlist* nodep, const string& stage, bool fastOnly = false);
-    static void statsFinalAll(AstNetlist* nodep);
     /// Called by the top level to dump the statistics
     static void statsReport();
     /// Called by debug dumps
diff --git a/src/Verilator.cpp b/src/Verilator.cpp
index 53ed00a79..dca85ae99 100644
--- a/src/Verilator.cpp
+++ b/src/Verilator.cpp
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ V3Global v3Global;
 static void reportStatsIfEnabled() {
     if (v3Global.opt.stats()) {
         FileLine::stats();
-        V3Stats::statsFinalAll(v3Global.rootp());
         V3Stats::statsReport();
     }
 }
@@ -207,10 +206,7 @@ static void process() {
             V3Hierarchical::createGraph(v3Global.rootp());
             // If a plan is created, further analysis is not necessary.
             // The actual Verilation will be done based on this plan.
-            if (v3Global.hierGraphp()) {
-                reportStatsIfEnabled();
-                return;
-            }
+            if (v3Global.hierGraphp()) return;
         }
 
         // Calculate and check widths, edit tree to TRUNC/EXTRACT any width mismatches
@@ -817,12 +813,6 @@ static bool verilate(const string& argString) {
     // Final writing shouldn't throw warnings, but...
     V3Error::abortIfWarnings();
 
-    // Free memory so compiler has more for --build
-    // No need to do this if skipped (above) as didn't alloc much
-    UINFO(1, "Releasing netlist memory");
-    v3Global.rootp()->deleteContents();
-    V3Os::releaseMemory();
-    if (v3Global.opt.stats()) V3Stats::statsStage("released");
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -846,10 +836,18 @@ static string buildMakeCmd(const string& makefile, const string& target) {
     return cmd.str();
 }
 
+static void releaseNetlistMemory() {
+    UINFO(1, "Releasing netlist memory");
+    v3Global.rootp()->deleteContents();
+    V3Os::releaseMemory();
+    if (v3Global.opt.stats()) V3Stats::statsStage("released");
+}
+
 static void execBuildJob() {
     UASSERT(v3Global.opt.build(), "--build is not specified.");
     UASSERT(v3Global.opt.gmake(), "--build requires GNU Make.");
     UASSERT(!v3Global.opt.makeJson(), "--build cannot use json build.");
+    releaseNetlistMemory();
     const VlOs::DeltaWallTime buildWallTime{true};
     UINFO(1, "Start Build");
 
@@ -866,6 +864,7 @@ static void execBuildJob() {
 
 static void execHierVerilation() {
     UASSERT(v3Global.hierGraphp(), "must be called only when plan exists");
+    releaseNetlistMemory();
     const string makefile = v3Global.opt.prefix() + "_hier.mk ";
     const string target = v3Global.opt.build() ? " hier_build" : " hier_verilation";
     const string cmdStr = buildMakeCmd(makefile, target);
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_benchmark_mux4k.py b/test_regress/t/t_benchmark_mux4k.py
index 61180d55a..54667898d 100755
--- a/test_regress/t/t_benchmark_mux4k.py
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_benchmark_mux4k.py
@@ -15,4 +15,7 @@ test.compile(v_flags2=["--stats", test.wno_unopthreads_for_few_cores])
 
 test.execute()
 
+# Check netlist was NOT released on shutdown
+test.file_grep_not(test.stats, r"Stage, Elapsed time \(sec\), \d+_released")
+
 test.passes()
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_flag_build.py b/test_regress/t/t_flag_build.py
index 59ded9803..d047dde66 100755
--- a/test_regress/t/t_flag_build.py
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_flag_build.py
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@ test.top_filename = "t/t_flag_make_cmake.v"
 
 test.compile(  # Don't call cmake nor gmake from driver.py
     verilator_flags2=[
-        '--exe --cc --build -j 2', '../' + test.main_filename, '-MAKEFLAGS -p --trace-vcd'
+        '--exe --cc --build -j 2', '../' + test.main_filename, '-MAKEFLAGS -p --trace-vcd',
+        '--stats'
     ])
 
 test.execute()
 
+# Check netlist was released before forking the build
+test.file_grep(test.stats, r"Stage, Elapsed time \(sec\), \d+_released")
+
 test.passes()
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_hier_block.py b/test_regress/t/t_hier_block.py
index 294b5139a..fa1790af0 100755
--- a/test_regress/t/t_hier_block.py
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_hier_block.py
@@ -41,5 +41,7 @@ test.file_grep(test.obj_dir + "/Vsub1/sub1.sv", r'^module\s+(\S+)\s+', "sub1")
 test.file_grep(test.obj_dir + "/Vsub2/sub2.sv", r'^module\s+(\S+)\s+', "sub2")
 test.file_grep(test.stats, r'HierBlock,\s+Hierarchical blocks\s+(\d+)', 14)
 test.file_grep(test.run_log_filename, r'MACRO:(\S+) is defined', "cplusplus")
+# Check netlist was released before forking the sub verilation
+test.file_grep(test.stats, r"Stage, Elapsed time \(sec\), \d+_released")
 
 test.passes()