diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 64228a26d0be873040ebde37e95e62d20f5ba957..67e815b2db00e4d406693f82e96b11bb701509a5 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -2128,7 +2128,6 @@ void *unpack_entry(struct packed_git *p, off_t obj_offset,
 			error("failed to unpack compressed delta "
 			      "at offset %"PRIuMAX" from %s",
 			      (uintmax_t)curpos, p->pack_name);
-			free(base);
 			data = NULL;
 			continue;
 		}