diff --git a/src/test/test-util.c b/src/test/test-util.c
index 7a398fafbe4..9d5516a18d3 100644
--- a/src/test/test-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-util.c
@@ -460,6 +460,8 @@ static void test_cunescape(void) {
         assert_se(cunescape("\\u0000", 0, &unescaped) < 0);
         assert_se(cunescape("\\u00DF\\U000000df\\u03a0\\U00000041", UNESCAPE_RELAX, &unescaped) >= 0);
         assert_se(streq_ptr(unescaped, "ßßΠA"));
+        free(unescaped);
+        unescaped = NULL;
 
         assert_se(cunescape("\\073", 0, &unescaped) >= 0);
         assert_se(streq_ptr(unescaped, ";"));