diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
index 445d794905..843a555952 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
@@ -457,8 +457,8 @@ qemuMonitorJSONCheckReply(virJSONValuePtr cmd,
 
     data = virJSONValueObjectGet(reply, "return");
     if (virJSONValueGetType(data) != type) {
-        char *cmdstr = virJSONValueToString(cmd, false);
-        char *retstr = virJSONValueToString(data, false);
+        g_autofree char *cmdstr = virJSONValueToString(cmd, false);
+        g_autofree char *retstr = virJSONValueToString(data, false);
 
         VIR_DEBUG("Unexpected return type %d (expecting %d) for command %s: %s",
                   virJSONValueGetType(data), type, cmdstr, retstr);
@@ -466,8 +466,6 @@ qemuMonitorJSONCheckReply(virJSONValuePtr cmd,
                        _("unexpected type returned by QEMU command '%s'"),
                        qemuMonitorJSONCommandName(cmd));
 
-        VIR_FREE(cmdstr);
-        VIR_FREE(retstr);
         return -1;
     }