diff --git a/source/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity.c b/source/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity.c
index 229304f6..f96b38ee 100644
--- a/source/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity.c
+++ b/source/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity.c
@@ -527,9 +527,7 @@ static void s_on_stream_complete_fn(struct aws_http_stream *stream, int error_co
     struct sts_web_identity_user_data *user_data = data;
 
     struct aws_credentials_provider_sts_web_identity_impl *impl = user_data->sts_web_identity_provider->impl;
-    struct aws_http_connection *connection = impl->function_table->aws_http_stream_get_connection(stream);
     impl->function_table->aws_http_stream_release(stream);
-    impl->function_table->aws_http_connection_manager_release_connection(impl->connection_manager, connection);
 
     /*
      * On anything other than a 200, if we can retry the request based on
diff --git a/tests/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity_tests.c b/tests/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity_tests.c
index 066d2615..332e8651 100644
--- a/tests/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity_tests.c
+++ b/tests/credentials_provider_sts_web_identity_tests.c
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ struct mock_connection_manager {
     struct aws_allocator *allocator;
     aws_http_connection_manager_shutdown_complete_fn *shutdown_complete_callback;
     void *shutdown_complete_user_data;
+
+    int count;
 };
 
 static struct aws_http_connection_manager *s_aws_http_connection_manager_new_mock(
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ static struct aws_http_connection_manager *s_aws_http_connection_manager_new_moc
 
 static void s_aws_http_connection_manager_release_mock(struct aws_http_connection_manager *manager) {
     struct mock_connection_manager *mock_manager = (struct mock_connection_manager *)manager;
+    AWS_FATAL_ASSERT(mock_manager->count == 0 && "count should dropped to zero when the manager is gone.");
     mock_manager->shutdown_complete_callback(mock_manager->shutdown_complete_user_data);
     aws_mem_release(mock_manager->allocator, mock_manager);
 }
@@ -94,12 +97,10 @@ static void s_aws_http_connection_manager_acquire_connection_mock(
     struct aws_http_connection_manager *manager,
     aws_http_connection_manager_on_connection_setup_fn *callback,
     void *user_data) {
-
-    (void)manager;
-    (void)callback;
-    (void)user_data;
+    struct mock_connection_manager *mock_manager = (struct mock_connection_manager *)manager;
 
     if (s_tester.is_connection_acquire_successful) {
+        mock_manager->count++;
         callback((struct aws_http_connection *)1, AWS_OP_SUCCESS, user_data);
     } else {
         aws_raise_error(AWS_ERROR_HTTP_UNKNOWN);
@@ -111,8 +112,11 @@ static int s_aws_http_connection_manager_release_connection_mock(
     struct aws_http_connection_manager *manager,
     struct aws_http_connection *connection) {
 
-    (void)manager;
-    (void)connection;
+    struct mock_connection_manager *mock_manager = (struct mock_connection_manager *)manager;
+    mock_manager->count--;
+    ASSERT_TRUE(
+        connection == (struct aws_http_connection *)1 && "the released connection should be the same as vended one");
+    ASSERT_TRUE(mock_manager->count >= 0 && "count should always be positive");
 
     return AWS_OP_SUCCESS;
 }