diff --git a/src/basic/terminal-util.c b/src/basic/terminal-util.c
index aa69bede6f..76d6d1a20c 100644
--- a/src/basic/terminal-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/terminal-util.c
@@ -720,8 +720,7 @@ int get_kernel_consoles(char ***ret) {
 
         p = line;
         for (;;) {
-                _cleanup_free_ char *tty = NULL;
-                char *path;
+                _cleanup_free_ char *tty = NULL, *path = NULL;
 
                 r = extract_first_word(&p, &tty, NULL, 0);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -736,17 +735,16 @@ int get_kernel_consoles(char ***ret) {
                                 return r;
                 }
 
-                path = strappend("/dev/", tty);
+                path = path_join("/dev", tty);
                 if (!path)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
                 if (access(path, F_OK) < 0) {
                         log_debug_errno(errno, "Console device %s is not accessible, skipping: %m", path);
-                        free(path);
                         continue;
                 }
 
-                r = strv_consume(&l, path);
+                r = strv_consume(&l, TAKE_PTR(path));
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
diff --git a/src/core/dbus-execute.c b/src/core/dbus-execute.c
index 9ca37fefa4..4d5fb2eb10 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-execute.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-execute.c
@@ -2108,22 +2108,19 @@ int bus_exec_context_set_transient_property(
                                 return sd_bus_error_setf(error, SD_BUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS, "Path %s is not absolute.", path);
 
                         if (!UNIT_WRITE_FLAGS_NOOP(flags)) {
-                                _cleanup_free_ char *q = NULL;
-                                char *buf;
+                                _cleanup_free_ char *q = NULL, *buf = NULL;
 
                                 buf = strjoin(b ? "-" : "", path);
                                 if (!buf)
                                         return -ENOMEM;
 
                                 q = specifier_escape(buf);
-                                if (!q) {
-                                        free(buf);
+                                if (!q)
                                         return -ENOMEM;
-                                }
 
                                 fprintf(f, "EnvironmentFile=%s\n", q);
 
-                                r = strv_consume(&l, buf);
+                                r = strv_consume(&l, TAKE_PTR(buf));
                                 if (r < 0)
                                         return r;
                         }
diff --git a/src/import/pull-common.c b/src/import/pull-common.c
index 766b97cb0c..62b52309a4 100644
--- a/src/import/pull-common.c
+++ b/src/import/pull-common.c
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ int pull_find_old_etags(
         }
 
         FOREACH_DIRENT_ALL(de, d, return -errno) {
+                _cleanup_free_ char *u = NULL;
                 const char *a, *b;
-                char *u;
 
                 if (de->d_type != DT_UNKNOWN &&
                     de->d_type != dt)
@@ -97,12 +97,10 @@ int pull_find_old_etags(
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
-                if (!http_etag_is_valid(u)) {
-                        free(u);
+                if (!http_etag_is_valid(u))
                         continue;
-                }
 
-                r = strv_consume(&l, u);
+                r = strv_consume(&l, TAKE_PTR(u));
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolvectl.c b/src/resolve/resolvectl.c
index 6c5b589944..94ec8be896 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolvectl.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolvectl.c
@@ -1229,7 +1229,7 @@ static int map_link_dns_servers(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_message
                 return r;
 
         for (;;) {
-                char *pretty = NULL;
+                _cleanup_free_ char *pretty = NULL;
 
                 r = read_dns_server_one(m, false, &pretty);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -1240,7 +1240,7 @@ static int map_link_dns_servers(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_message
                 if (isempty(pretty))
                         continue;
 
-                r = strv_consume(l, pretty);
+                r = strv_consume(l, TAKE_PTR(pretty));
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -1306,7 +1306,7 @@ static int map_link_domains(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_message *m,
                 return r;
 
         for (;;) {
-                char *pretty = NULL;
+                _cleanup_free_ char *pretty = NULL;
 
                 r = read_domain_one(m, false, &pretty);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -1317,7 +1317,7 @@ static int map_link_domains(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_message *m,
                 if (isempty(pretty))
                         continue;
 
-                r = strv_consume(l, pretty);
+                r = strv_consume(l, TAKE_PTR(pretty));
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -1536,7 +1536,7 @@ static int map_global_dns_servers(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_messag
                 return r;
 
         for (;;) {
-                char *pretty = NULL;
+                _cleanup_free_ char *pretty = NULL;
 
                 r = read_dns_server_one(m, true, &pretty);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -1547,7 +1547,7 @@ static int map_global_dns_servers(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_messag
                 if (isempty(pretty))
                         continue;
 
-                r = strv_consume(l, pretty);
+                r = strv_consume(l, TAKE_PTR(pretty));
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -1580,7 +1580,7 @@ static int map_global_domains(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_message *m
                 return r;
 
         for (;;) {
-                char *pretty = NULL;
+                _cleanup_free_ char *pretty = NULL;
 
                 r = read_domain_one(m, true, &pretty);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -1591,7 +1591,7 @@ static int map_global_domains(sd_bus *bus, const char *member, sd_bus_message *m
                 if (isempty(pretty))
                         continue;
 
-                r = strv_consume(l, pretty);
+                r = strv_consume(l, TAKE_PTR(pretty));
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }