diff -up netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/dim.c.hashmap netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/dim.c
--- netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/dim.c.hashmap	2016-07-07 07:56:11.162288945 -0600
+++ netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/dim.c	2016-07-07 08:00:16.655658910 -0600
@@ -475,10 +475,12 @@ NC3_rename_dim( int ncid, int dimid, con
 		free(newname);
 		if(newStr == NULL)
 			return NC_ENOMEM;
-		dimp->name = newStr;
 
 		/* Remove old name from hashmap; add new... */
 		NC_hashmapRemoveDim(&ncp->dims, old->cp);
+
+		dimp->name = newStr;
+
 		NC_hashmapAddDim(&ncp->dims, dimid, newStr->cp);
 		free_NC_string(old);
 
@@ -487,13 +489,14 @@ NC3_rename_dim( int ncid, int dimid, con
 
 	/* else, not in define mode */
 
+	/* Remove old name from hashmap; add new... */
+	NC_hashmapRemoveDim(&ncp->dims, old->cp);
+
 	status = set_NC_string(dimp->name, newname);
 	free(newname);
 	if(status != NC_NOERR)
 		return status;
 
-	/* Remove old name from hashmap; add new... */
-	NC_hashmapRemoveDim(&ncp->dims, old->cp);
 	NC_hashmapAddDim(&ncp->dims, dimid, dimp->name->cp);
 
 	set_NC_hdirty(ncp);
diff -up netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/var.c.hashmap netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/var.c
--- netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/var.c.hashmap	2016-07-07 07:56:11.162288945 -0600
+++ netcdf-c-4.4.1/libsrc/var.c	2016-07-07 07:58:52.282847833 -0600
@@ -740,14 +740,15 @@ NC3_rename_var(int ncid, int varid, cons
 	    return NC_ENOMEM;
 	if(NC_indef(ncp))
 	{
+		/* Remove old name from hashmap; add new... */
+		NC_hashmapRemoveVar(&ncp->vars, old->cp);
+
 		newStr = new_NC_string(strlen(newname),newname);
 		free(newname);
 		if(newStr == NULL)
 			return(-1);
 		varp->name = newStr;
 
-		/* Remove old name from hashmap; add new... */
-		NC_hashmapRemoveVar(&ncp->vars, old->cp);
 		NC_hashmapAddVar(&ncp->vars, varid, newStr->cp);
 		free_NC_string(old);
 
@@ -755,13 +756,14 @@ NC3_rename_var(int ncid, int varid, cons
 	}
 
 	/* else, not in define mode */
+	/* Remove old name from hashmap; add new... */
+	NC_hashmapRemoveVar(&ncp->vars, old->cp);
+
 	status = set_NC_string(varp->name, newname);
 	free(newname);
 	if(status != NC_NOERR)
 		return status;
 
-	/* Remove old name from hashmap; add new... */
-	NC_hashmapRemoveVar(&ncp->vars, old->cp);
 	NC_hashmapAddVar(&ncp->vars, varid, varp->name->cp);
 
 	set_NC_hdirty(ncp);