diff --git a/src/switch_utils.c b/src/switch_utils.c
index e4e26a6eef..5d6b8f2aaf 100644
--- a/src/switch_utils.c
+++ b/src/switch_utils.c
@@ -4176,11 +4176,12 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(void) switch_http_parse_qs(switch_http_request_t *request, char *
 	char *q;
 	char *next;
 	char *name, *val;
+	char *dup = NULL;
 
 	if (qs) {
 		q = qs;
 	} else { /*parse our own qs, dup to avoid modify the original string */
-		q = strdup(request->qs);
+		dup = q = strdup(request->qs);
 	}
 
 	switch_assert(q);
@@ -4207,9 +4208,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(void) switch_http_parse_qs(switch_http_request_t *request, char *
 		q = next;
 	} while (q);
 
-	if (!qs) {
-		switch_safe_free(q);
-	}
+	switch_safe_free(dup);
 }
 
 /* clean the uri to protect us from vulnerability attack */