diff --git a/src/runtime2/component/consensus.rs b/src/runtime2/component/consensus.rs
index d30f5874a04afb8df60b09bb39b3ad8f0c4f08e7..a0544a3d7f80b0db21a56e09d5c096e28ba89732 100644
--- a/src/runtime2/component/consensus.rs
+++ b/src/runtime2/component/consensus.rs
@@ -666,8 +666,13 @@ impl Consensus {
 
     fn send_to_leader(&mut self, sched_ctx: &SchedulerCtx, comp_ctx: &CompCtx, message: Message) {
         debug_assert_ne!(self.highest_id, comp_ctx.id); // we're not the leader
-        let leader_info = sched_ctx.runtime.get_component_public(self.highest_id);
+        let mut leader_info = sched_ctx.runtime.get_component_public(self.highest_id);
         leader_info.send_message(sched_ctx, message, true);
+        let should_remove = leader_info.decrement_users();
+        if should_remove {
+            let key = unsafe{ self.highest_id.upgrade() };
+            sched_ctx.runtime.destroy_component(key);
+        }
     }
 
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------------