diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-07-19-15-53-06.gh-issue-154109.uPm_M0.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-07-19-15-53-06.gh-issue-154109.uPm_M0.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..a566068795356d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-07-19-15-53-06.gh-issue-154109.uPm_M0.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix memory leak in :meth:`sqlite3.Connection.load_extension` when
+:exc:`sqlite3.OperationalError` is raised.
diff --git a/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c b/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c
index f8bd3a8df35b66..77db1665f30023 100644
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c
@@ -1770,6 +1770,7 @@ pysqlite_connection_load_extension_impl(pysqlite_Connection *self,
     rc = sqlite3_load_extension(self->db, extension_name, entrypoint, &errmsg);
     if (rc != 0) {
         PyErr_SetString(self->OperationalError, errmsg);
+        sqlite3_free((void *)errmsg);
         return NULL;
     } else {
         Py_RETURN_NONE;