diff --git a/onnxruntime/python/onnxruntime_pybind_mlvalue.cc b/onnxruntime/python/onnxruntime_pybind_mlvalue.cc
index d96d229c942cb..89651c2d955de 100644
--- a/onnxruntime/python/onnxruntime_pybind_mlvalue.cc
+++ b/onnxruntime/python/onnxruntime_pybind_mlvalue.cc
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ std::string _get_type_name(std::string&) {
 #if !defined(DISABLE_ML_OPS)
 template <typename KeyType, typename ValueType, typename KeyGetterType, typename ValueGetterType>
 static void CreateMapMLValue_LoopIntoMap(Py_ssize_t& pos, PyObject*& key, const std::string& name_input, PyObject*& value,
-                                         PyObject* item, std::map<KeyType, ValueType>& current,
+                                         PyObject* item, bool owns_item_ref, std::map<KeyType, ValueType>& current,
                                          KeyGetterType keyGetter, ValueGetterType valueGetter) {
   KeyType ckey;
   ValueType cvalue;
@@ -806,7 +806,9 @@ static void CreateMapMLValue_LoopIntoMap(Py_ssize_t& pos, PyObject*& key, const
       std::string sType = spyType;
       Py_XDECREF(pStr);
       Py_XDECREF(pType);
-      Py_XDECREF(item);
+      if (owns_item_ref) {
+        Py_XDECREF(item);
+      }
       throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Unexpected key type  ") + sType +
                                std::string(", it cannot be linked to C type ") +
                                _get_type_name(ckey) + std::string(" for input '") +
@@ -820,7 +822,9 @@ static void CreateMapMLValue_LoopIntoMap(Py_ssize_t& pos, PyObject*& key, const
       std::string sType = spyType;
       Py_XDECREF(pStr);
       Py_XDECREF(pType);
-      Py_XDECREF(item);
+      if (owns_item_ref) {
+        Py_XDECREF(item);
+      }
       throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Unexpected value type  ") + sType +
                                std::string(", it cannot be linked to C type ") +
                                _get_type_name(ckey) + std::string(" for input '") +
@@ -836,7 +840,7 @@ static void CreateMapMLValue_Map(Py_ssize_t& pos, PyObject*& key, const std::str
                                  ValueGetterType valueGetter) {
   std::unique_ptr<std::map<KeyType, ValueType>> dst;
   dst = std::make_unique<std::map<KeyType, ValueType>>();
-  CreateMapMLValue_LoopIntoMap(pos, key, name_input, value, item, *dst, keyGetter, valueGetter);
+  CreateMapMLValue_LoopIntoMap(pos, key, name_input, value, item, false, *dst, keyGetter, valueGetter);
   p_mlvalue->Init(dst.release(), DataTypeImpl::GetType<std::map<KeyType, ValueType>>(),
                   DataTypeImpl::GetType<std::map<KeyType, ValueType>>()->GetDeleteFunc());
 }
@@ -850,7 +854,7 @@ void CreateMapMLValue_VectorMap(Py_ssize_t& pos, PyObject*& key, const std::stri
   int index = 0;
   do {
     dstVector->push_back(std::map<KeyType, ValueType>());
-    CreateMapMLValue_LoopIntoMap(pos, key, name_input, value, item, (*dstVector)[index], keyGetter, valueGetter);
+    CreateMapMLValue_LoopIntoMap(pos, key, name_input, value, item, true, (*dstVector)[index], keyGetter, valueGetter);
     Py_DECREF(item);
     ++index;
     item = iterator == NULL ? NULL : PyIter_Next(iterator);