diff --git a/lib/format1/format1.c b/lib/format1/format1.c
index 9d48cf0a5..89365b380 100644
--- a/lib/format1/format1.c
+++ b/lib/format1/format1.c
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ static struct list *_get_vgs(struct format_type *fmt, struct list *names)
 	}
 
 	if (list_empty(names))
-		goto err;
+		pool_free(fmt->cmd->mem, pvs);
 
 	return names;
 
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata.c b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
index b8a55e65f..aa5616fcd 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
@@ -512,7 +512,8 @@ struct list *get_vgs(struct cmd_context *cmd)
 	list_init(names);
 
 	if (!cmd->fmt1->ops->get_vgs(cmd->fmt1, names) ||
-	    !cmd->fmtt->ops->get_vgs(cmd->fmtt, names)) {
+	    !cmd->fmtt->ops->get_vgs(cmd->fmtt, names) ||
+	    list_empty(names)) {
 		pool_free(cmd->mem, names);
 		return NULL;
 	}