diff --git a/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.cpp b/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.cpp
index 52894ed3b9b20..d5aeae29c1195 100644
--- a/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.cpp
+++ b/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ event queue_impl::memset(const shared_ptr_class<detail::queue_impl> &Self,
     return event();
 
   event ResEvent = prepareUSMEvent(Self, NativeEvent);
-  addUSMEvent(ResEvent);
+  addSharedEvent(ResEvent);
   return ResEvent;
 }
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ event queue_impl::memcpy(const shared_ptr_class<detail::queue_impl> &Self,
     return event();
 
   event ResEvent = prepareUSMEvent(Self, NativeEvent);
-  addUSMEvent(ResEvent);
+  addSharedEvent(ResEvent);
   return ResEvent;
 }
 
@@ -92,19 +92,30 @@ event queue_impl::mem_advise(const shared_ptr_class<detail::queue_impl> &Self,
                                                    Advice, &NativeEvent);
 
   event ResEvent = prepareUSMEvent(Self, NativeEvent);
-  addUSMEvent(ResEvent);
+  addSharedEvent(ResEvent);
   return ResEvent;
 }
 
 void queue_impl::addEvent(const event &Event) {
-  std::weak_ptr<event_impl> EventWeakPtr{getSyclObjImpl(Event)};
-  std::lock_guard<mutex_class> Lock(MMutex);
-  MEvents.push_back(std::move(EventWeakPtr));
+  EventImplPtr Eimpl = getSyclObjImpl(Event);
+  Command *Cmd = (Command *)(Eimpl->getCommand());
+  if (!Cmd) {
+    // if there is no command on the event, we cannot track it with MEventsWeak
+    // as that will leave it with no owner. Track in MEventsShared
+    addSharedEvent(Event);
+  } else {
+    std::weak_ptr<event_impl> EventWeakPtr{Eimpl};
+    std::lock_guard<mutex_class> Lock{MMutex};
+    MEventsWeak.push_back(std::move(EventWeakPtr));
+  }
 }
 
-void queue_impl::addUSMEvent(const event &Event) {
+/// addSharedEvent - queue_impl tracks events with weak pointers
+/// but some events have no other owner. In this case,
+/// addSharedEvent will have the queue track the events via a shared pointer.
+void queue_impl::addSharedEvent(const event &Event) {
   std::lock_guard<mutex_class> Lock(MMutex);
-  MUSMEvents.push_back(Event);
+  MEventsShared.push_back(Event);
 }
 
 void *queue_impl::instrumentationProlog(const detail::code_location &CodeLoc,
@@ -204,8 +215,8 @@ void queue_impl::wait(const detail::code_location &CodeLoc) {
   vector_class<event> USMEvents;
   {
     std::lock_guard<mutex_class> Lock(MMutex);
-    Events = std::move(MEvents);
-    USMEvents = std::move(MUSMEvents);
+    Events = std::move(MEventsWeak);
+    USMEvents = std::move(MEventsShared);
   }
 
   for (std::weak_ptr<event_impl> &EventImplWeakPtr : Events)
diff --git a/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.hpp b/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.hpp
index 7b1bf09317bc1..8147b205ff29c 100644
--- a/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.hpp
+++ b/sycl/source/detail/queue_impl.hpp
@@ -400,10 +400,12 @@ class queue_impl {
 
   void initHostTaskAndEventCallbackThreadPool();
 
-  /// Stores a USM operation event that should be associated with the queue
+  /// queue_impl.addEvent tracks events with weak pointers
+  /// but some events have no other owners. addSharedEvent()
+  /// follows events with a shared pointer.
   ///
   /// \param Event is the event to be stored
-  void addUSMEvent(const event &Event);
+  void addSharedEvent(const event &Event);
 
   /// Stores an event that should be associated with the queue
   ///
@@ -415,10 +417,14 @@ class queue_impl {
 
   DeviceImplPtr MDevice;
   const ContextImplPtr MContext;
-  vector_class<std::weak_ptr<event_impl>> MEvents;
-  // USM operations are not added to the scheduler command graph,
-  // queue is the only owner on the runtime side.
-  vector_class<event> MUSMEvents;
+
+  /// These events are tracked, but not owned, by the queue.
+  vector_class<std::weak_ptr<event_impl>> MEventsWeak;
+
+  /// Events without data dependencies (such as USM) need an owner,
+  /// additionally, USM operations are not added to the scheduler command graph,
+  /// queue is the only owner on the runtime side.
+  vector_class<event> MEventsShared;
   exception_list MExceptions;
   const async_handler MAsyncHandler;
   const property_list MPropList;
diff --git a/sycl/source/detail/scheduler/scheduler.cpp b/sycl/source/detail/scheduler/scheduler.cpp
index c2a0c3fbbb509..8f6ae7b12fad3 100644
--- a/sycl/source/detail/scheduler/scheduler.cpp
+++ b/sycl/source/detail/scheduler/scheduler.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ EventImplPtr Scheduler::addCG(std::unique_ptr<detail::CG> CommandGroup,
 
       if (IsKernel)
         Streams = ((ExecCGCommand *)NewCmd)->getStreams();
+
+      if (NewCmd->MDeps.size() == 0 && NewCmd->MUsers.size() == 0) {
+        NewEvent->setCommand(nullptr); // if there are no memory dependencies,
+                                       // decouple and free the command
+        delete NewCmd;
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/sycl/test/basic_tests/queue/release.cpp b/sycl/test/basic_tests/queue/release.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c92086e5c3574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sycl/test/basic_tests/queue/release.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// RUN: %clangxx -fsycl -fsycl-targets=%sycl_triple  %s -o %t.out
+// RUN: env SYCL_PI_TRACE=2 %GPU_RUN_PLACEHOLDER %t.out | FileCheck %s
+
+#include <CL/sycl.hpp>
+int main() {
+  sycl::queue q;
+
+  q.single_task<class test>([]() {});
+  // no wait. Ensure resources are released anyway.
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+//CHECK: ---> piEnqueueKernelLaunch(
+//CHECK: ---> piQueueRelease(
+//CHECK: ---> piEventRelease(
+//CHECK: ---> piContextRelease(
+//CHECK: ---> piKernelRelease(
+//CHECK: ---> piProgramRelease(