diff --git a/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/ThinClientStoreModel.java b/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/ThinClientStoreModel.java
index 1bd343e6192b..2a92039ddd7e 100644
--- a/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/ThinClientStoreModel.java
+++ b/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/ThinClientStoreModel.java
@@ -135,13 +135,21 @@ public StoreResponse unwrapToStoreResponse(
                             payloadBuf
                         );
 
+                        if (payloadBuf != content) {
+                            // payload is a slice/derived view; super() owns payload, we still own the container
+                            // this includes scenarios where payloadBuf == EMPTY_BUFFER
+                            ReferenceCountUtil.safeRelease(content);
+                        }
+
                         return storeResponse;
-                    } finally {
+                    } catch (Throwable t){
                         if (payloadBuf != content) {
                             // payload is a slice/derived view; super() owns payload, we still own the container
                             // this includes scenarios where payloadBuf == EMPTY_BUFFER
                             ReferenceCountUtil.safeRelease(content);
                         }
+
+                        throw t;
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/WebExceptionRetryPolicy.java b/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/WebExceptionRetryPolicy.java
index b1f737530f31..0314d4dea86c 100644
--- a/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/WebExceptionRetryPolicy.java
+++ b/sdk/cosmos/azure-cosmos/src/main/java/com/azure/cosmos/implementation/WebExceptionRetryPolicy.java
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ public Mono<ShouldRetryResult> shouldRetry(Exception e) {
                 .warn(
                     "WebExceptionRetryPolicy() No retries because client is not initialized yet. - "
                     + "operationType = {}, count = {}, isAddressRefresh = {}",
-                    this.request.getOperationType(),
+                    this.request != null ? this.request.getOperationType() : "n/a",
                     this.retryCount,
-                    this.request.isAddressRefresh());
+                    this.request != null ? this.request.isAddressRefresh() : "n/a");
 
             return Mono.just(ShouldRetryResult.noRetry());
         }