diff --git a/include/haproxy/ring.h b/include/haproxy/ring.h
index 307b2887c..201ede465 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/ring.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/ring.h
@@ -45,12 +45,20 @@ size_t ring_max_payload(const struct ring *ring);
 int ring_dispatch_messages(struct ring *ring, void *ctx, size_t *ofs_ptr, size_t *last_ofs_ptr, uint flags,
 			   ssize_t (*msg_handler)(void *ctx, struct ist v1, struct ist v2, size_t ofs, size_t len));
 
-/* returns the ring storage's area */
+/* returns the ring storage's usable area */
 static inline void *ring_area(const struct ring *ring)
 {
 	return ring->storage->area;
 }
 
+/* returns the allocated area for the ring. It covers the whole
+ * area made of both the ring_storage and the usable area.
+ */
+static inline void *ring_allocated_area(const struct ring *ring)
+{
+	return ring->storage;
+}
+
 /* returns the number of bytes in the ring */
 static inline size_t ring_data(const struct ring *ring)
 {
diff --git a/src/errors.c b/src/errors.c
index 1069a69d2..51997da70 100644
--- a/src/errors.c
+++ b/src/errors.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ void startup_logs_free(struct ring *r)
 {
 #ifdef USE_SHM_OPEN
 	if (r == shm_startup_logs)
-		munmap(ring_area(r), STARTUP_LOG_SIZE);
+		munmap(ring_allocated_area(r), STARTUP_LOG_SIZE);
 #endif /* ! USE_SHM_OPEN */
 	ring_free(r);
 }
diff --git a/src/sink.c b/src/sink.c
index af1a33470..279a0eb95 100644
--- a/src/sink.c
+++ b/src/sink.c
@@ -695,8 +695,8 @@ static void sink_free(struct sink *sink)
 		return;
 	if (sink->type == SINK_TYPE_BUFFER) {
 		if (sink->store) {
-			size_t size = (ring_size(sink->ctx.ring) + 4095UL) & -4096UL;
-			void *area = ring_area(sink->ctx.ring);
+			size_t size = (ring_allocated_size(sink->ctx.ring) + 4095UL) & -4096UL;
+			void *area = ring_allocated_area(sink->ctx.ring);
 
 			msync(area, size, MS_SYNC);
 			munmap(area, size);