diff --git a/src/nvim/buffer.c b/src/nvim/buffer.c
index 7acf73ea0b..be8a87d389 100644
--- a/src/nvim/buffer.c
+++ b/src/nvim/buffer.c
@@ -1904,18 +1904,21 @@ buf_T *buflist_new(char *ffname_arg, char *sfname_arg, linenr_T lnum, int flags)
   // buffer.)
   buf = NULL;
   if ((flags & BLN_CURBUF) && curbuf_reusable()) {
+    bufref_T bufref;
+
     assert(curbuf != NULL);
     buf = curbuf;
+    set_bufref(&bufref, buf);
     // It's like this buffer is deleted.  Watch out for autocommands that
     // change curbuf!  If that happens, allocate a new buffer anyway.
     buf_freeall(buf, BFA_WIPE | BFA_DEL);
-    if (buf != curbuf) {  // autocommands deleted the buffer!
-      return NULL;
-    }
     if (aborting()) {           // autocmds may abort script processing
       xfree(ffname);
       return NULL;
     }
+    if (!bufref_valid(&bufref)) {
+      buf = NULL;  // buf was deleted; allocate a new buffer
+    }
   }
   if (buf != curbuf || curbuf == NULL) {
     buf = xcalloc(1, sizeof(buf_T));
diff --git a/test/old/testdir/test_autocmd.vim b/test/old/testdir/test_autocmd.vim
index b15a97d7e5..a35049d468 100644
--- a/test/old/testdir/test_autocmd.vim
+++ b/test/old/testdir/test_autocmd.vim
@@ -4342,4 +4342,29 @@ func Test_eventignorewin_non_current()
   %bw!
 endfunc
 
+func Test_reuse_curbuf_leak()
+  new bar
+  let s:bar_buf = bufnr()
+  augroup testing
+    autocmd!
+    autocmd BufDelete * ++once let s:triggered = 1 | execute s:bar_buf 'buffer'
+  augroup END
+  enew
+  let empty_buf = bufnr()
+
+  " Old curbuf should be reused, firing BufDelete. As BufDelete changes curbuf,
+  " reusing the buffer would fail and leak the ffname.
+  edit foo
+  call assert_equal(1, s:triggered)
+  " Wasn't reused because the buffer changed, but buffer "foo" is still created.
+  call assert_equal(1, bufexists(empty_buf))
+  call assert_notequal(empty_buf, bufnr())
+  call assert_equal('foo', bufname())
+  call assert_equal('bar', bufname(s:bar_buf))
+
+  unlet! s:bar_buf s:triggered
+  call CleanUpTestAuGroup()
+  %bw!
+endfunc
+
 " vim: shiftwidth=2 sts=2 expandtab