diff --git a/src/operation/relateng/TopologyComputer.cpp b/src/operation/relateng/TopologyComputer.cpp
index 1ac9c56b36..984073e467 100644
--- a/src/operation/relateng/TopologyComputer.cpp
+++ b/src/operation/relateng/TopologyComputer.cpp
@@ -233,11 +233,16 @@ TopologyComputer::getNodeSections(const CoordinateXY& nodePt)
 void
 TopologyComputer::addIntersection(NodeSection* a, NodeSection* b)
 {
+    // add edges to node to allow full topology evaluation later
+    // we run this first (unlike JTS) in case the subsequent test throws
+    // an exception and the NodeSection pointers are not correctly
+    // saved in the memory managed store on the NodeSections, causing
+    // a small memeory leak
+    addNodeSections(a, b);
+
     if (! a->isSameGeometry(b)) {
         updateIntersectionAB(a, b);
     }
-    //-- add edges to node to allow full topology evaluation later
-    addNodeSections(a, b);
 }