diff --git a/zapcore/console_encoder.go b/zapcore/console_encoder.go
index 54aae7ef9..6c6080366 100644
--- a/zapcore/console_encoder.go
+++ b/zapcore/console_encoder.go
@@ -130,7 +130,12 @@ func (c consoleEncoder) EncodeEntry(ent Entry, fields []Field) (*buffer.Buffer,
 
 func (c consoleEncoder) writeContext(line *buffer.Buffer, extra []Field) {
 	context := c.jsonEncoder.Clone().(*jsonEncoder)
-	defer context.buf.Free()
+	defer func() {
+		// putJSONEncoder assumes the buffer is still used, but we write out the buffer so
+		// we can free it.
+		context.buf.Free()
+		putJSONEncoder(context)
+	}()
 
 	addFields(context, extra)
 	context.closeOpenNamespaces()