The disclosed invention includes a method for automatically recovering memory in a zero copy messaging system. In the method, ownership can be established between process executing in different processing units and allocated portions of a shared memory pool. The shared memory pool can be remotely located from the processing units. Ownership or control data of the allocated memory portions can be changed when control of the memory is transferred from one of the processes to another. Allocated portions of memory can be automatically recovered when processes owning the allocated portions are unexpectedly aborted before the allocated portions are able to be explicitly deallocated.