diff --git a/trace.c b/trace.c
index 62586fa371b22e9b0b2d8f4e7eb9a4e3e100ac9f..0fb2a2c64b63ab0067edff124b8f3d2c7175c70e 100644
--- a/trace.c
+++ b/trace.c
@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "quote.h"
 
-static void do_nothing(size_t unused)
-{
-}
-
 /* Get a trace file descriptor from GIT_TRACE env variable. */
 static int get_trace_fd(int *need_close)
 {
@@ -76,7 +72,7 @@ void trace_printf(const char *fmt, ...)
 	if (!fd)
 		return;
 
-	set_try_to_free_routine(do_nothing);	/* is never reset */
+	set_try_to_free_routine(NULL);	/* is never reset */
 	strbuf_init(&buf, 64);
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
 	len = vsnprintf(buf.buf, strbuf_avail(&buf), fmt, ap);
@@ -108,7 +104,7 @@ void trace_argv_printf(const char **argv, const char *fmt, ...)
 	if (!fd)
 		return;
 
-	set_try_to_free_routine(do_nothing);	/* is never reset */
+	set_try_to_free_routine(NULL);	/* is never reset */
 	strbuf_init(&buf, 64);
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
 	len = vsnprintf(buf.buf, strbuf_avail(&buf), fmt, ap);
diff --git a/wrapper.c b/wrapper.c
index 4c1639f1536d259a2b64d574005ac973d042b273..8d7dd31c4ba5439652d11e5ada06e0d52bc04e4f 100644
--- a/wrapper.c
+++ b/wrapper.c
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ static void (*try_to_free_routine)(size_t size) = do_nothing;
 try_to_free_t set_try_to_free_routine(try_to_free_t routine)
 {
 	try_to_free_t old = try_to_free_routine;
+	if (!routine)
+		routine = do_nothing;
 	try_to_free_routine = routine;
 	return old;
 }