diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
index 0c42a3a9b..6648a760d 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
@@ -237,6 +237,79 @@ void MeshForwarder::UpdateIndirectMessages(void)
     }
 }
 
+void MeshForwarder::RemoveMessages(Child &aChild, uint8_t aSubType)
+{
+    ThreadNetif &netif = GetNetif();
+    Message *nextMessage;
+
+    for (Message *message = mSendQueue.GetHead(); message; message = nextMessage)
+    {
+        uint8_t childIndex = netif.GetMle().GetChildIndex(aChild);
+
+        nextMessage = message->GetNext();
+
+        if ((aSubType != Message::kSubTypeNone) && (aSubType != message->GetSubType()))
+        {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (message->GetChildMask(childIndex))
+        {
+            message->ClearChildMask(childIndex);
+            mSourceMatchController.DecrementMessageCount(aChild);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            switch (message->GetType())
+            {
+            case Message::kTypeIp6:
+            {
+                Ip6::Header ip6header;
+
+                IgnoreReturnValue(message->Read(0, sizeof(ip6header), &ip6header));
+
+                if (&aChild == static_cast<Child *>(netif.GetMle().GetNeighbor(ip6header.GetDestination())))
+                {
+                    message->ClearDirectTransmission();
+                }
+
+                break;
+            }
+
+            case Message::kType6lowpan:
+            {
+                Lowpan::MeshHeader meshHeader;
+
+                IgnoreReturnValue(meshHeader.Init(*message));
+
+                if (&aChild == static_cast<Child *>(netif.GetMle().GetNeighbor(meshHeader.GetDestination())))
+                {
+                    message->ClearDirectTransmission();
+                }
+
+                break;
+            }
+
+            default:
+            {
+                break;
+            }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (!message->IsChildPending() && !message->GetDirectTransmission())
+        {
+            if (mSendMessage == message)
+            {
+                mSendMessage = NULL;
+            }
+
+            mSendQueue.Dequeue(*message);
+            message->Free();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 void MeshForwarder::ScheduleTransmissionTask(Tasklet &aTasklet)
 {
     GetOwner(aTasklet).ScheduleTransmissionTask();
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
index 0f2fc83c9..c21b1f1da 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
@@ -164,6 +164,16 @@ public:
      */
     void UpdateIndirectMessages(void);
 
+    /**
+     * This method frees any messages queued for an existing child.
+     *
+     * @param[in]  aChild    A reference to the child.
+     * @param[in]  aSubType  The message sub-type to remove.
+     *                       Use Message::kSubTypeNone remove all messages for @p aChild.
+     *
+     */
+    void RemoveMessages(Child &aChild, uint8_t aSubType);
+
     /**
      * This method returns a reference to the send queue.
      *
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
index 685ad791c..3d01972a0 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
@@ -1706,13 +1706,6 @@ otError MleRouter::HandleParentRequest(const Message &aMessage, const Ip6::Messa
 
     child = FindChild(macAddr);
 
-    if (child != NULL && !child->IsFullThreadDevice())
-    {
-        // Parent Request from a MTD child means that the child had detached. It can be safely removed.
-        RemoveNeighbor(*child);
-        child = NULL;
-    }
-
     if (child == NULL)
     {
         VerifyOrExit((child = NewChild()) != NULL);
@@ -1919,6 +1912,8 @@ otError MleRouter::SendParentResponse(Child *aChild, const ChallengeTlv &challen
     uint16_t delay;
 
     VerifyOrExit((message = NewMleMessage()) != NULL, error = OT_ERROR_NO_BUFS);
+    message->SetDirectTransmission();
+
     SuccessOrExit(error = AppendHeader(*message, Header::kCommandParentResponse));
     SuccessOrExit(error = AppendSourceAddress(*message));
     SuccessOrExit(error = AppendLeaderData(*message));
@@ -2084,6 +2079,10 @@ otError MleRouter::HandleChildIdRequest(const Message &aMessage, const Ip6::Mess
                  memcmp(response.GetResponse(), child->GetChallenge(), child->GetChallengeSize()) == 0,
                  error = OT_ERROR_SECURITY);
 
+    // Remove existing MLE messages
+    netif.GetMeshForwarder().RemoveMessages(*child, Message::kSubTypeMleGeneral);
+    netif.GetMeshForwarder().RemoveMessages(*child, Message::kSubTypeMleChildUpdateRequest);
+
     // Link-Layer Frame Counter
     SuccessOrExit(error = Tlv::GetTlv(aMessage, Tlv::kLinkFrameCounter, sizeof(linkFrameCounter),
                                       linkFrameCounter));
@@ -2163,7 +2162,6 @@ otError MleRouter::HandleChildIdRequest(const Message &aMessage, const Ip6::Mess
         }
     }
 
-
     child->SetLastHeard(TimerMilli::GetNow());
     child->SetLinkFrameCounter(linkFrameCounter.GetFrameCounter());
     child->SetMleFrameCounter(mleFrameCounter.GetFrameCounter());