diff --git a/parser/variable.cc b/parser/variable.cc
index 686b85720..b0deb4097 100644
--- a/parser/variable.cc
+++ b/parser/variable.cc
@@ -211,8 +211,6 @@ int variable::expand_by_alternation(char **name)
 		return 0; /* no var found, name is unchanged */
 	}
 
-	free(*name);
-
 	if (!prefix.empty() && prefix[prefix.size() - 1] == '/') {
 		/* make sure to not collapse / in the beginning of the path */
 		std::size_t found = prefix.find_first_not_of('/');
@@ -228,6 +226,8 @@ int variable::expand_by_alternation(char **name)
 		return 1;
 	}
 
+	free(*name);
+
 	size_t setsize = ref->expanded.size();
 	auto i = ref->expanded.begin();