diff --git a/lib/ofp-actions.c b/lib/ofp-actions.c
index ddef3b0c8..ef8b2b452 100644
--- a/lib/ofp-actions.c
+++ b/lib/ofp-actions.c
@@ -6657,6 +6657,7 @@ parse_CT(char *arg, const struct ofpact_parse_params *pp)
     }
 
     if (ofpbuf_oversized(pp->ofpacts)) {
+        free(error);
         return xasprintf("input too big");
     }