diff --git a/include/search.h b/include/search.h
index 17079439d36..20fa93fbd3b 100644
--- a/include/search.h
+++ b/include/search.h
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ typedef struct entry
 typedef enum
 {
   FIND,
-  ENTER
+  ENTER,
+  DELETE
 } ACTION;
 
 struct hsearch_data
diff --git a/libs/libc/search/hcreate_r.c b/libs/libc/search/hcreate_r.c
index c133b89b759..6c35e78032e 100644
--- a/libs/libc/search/hcreate_r.c
+++ b/libs/libc/search/hcreate_r.c
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ void hdestroy_r(FAR struct hsearch_data *htab)
           ie = SLIST_FIRST(&(htab->htable[idx]));
           SLIST_REMOVE_HEAD(&(htab->htable[idx]), link);
           lib_free(ie->ent.key);
+          lib_free(ie->ent.data);
           lib_free(ie);
         }
     }
@@ -239,7 +240,20 @@ int hsearch_r(ENTRY item, ACTION action, FAR ENTRY **retval,
       ie = SLIST_NEXT(ie, link);
     }
 
-  if (ie != NULL)
+  if (action == DELETE)
+    {
+      if (ie != NULL)
+        {
+          SLIST_REMOVE(head, ie, internal_entry, link);
+          lib_free(ie->ent.key);
+          lib_free(ie->ent.data);
+          lib_free(ie);
+          return 1;
+        }
+
+      return 0;
+    }
+  else if (ie != NULL)
     {
       *retval = &ie->ent;
       return 1;