diff --git a/src/util/viraudit.c b/src/util/viraudit.c
index 0085dc37be6072bd8837f80b6311e8c65720d1d1..a49d458819402654f1a407bc6a72aa8b4734eef3 100644
--- a/src/util/viraudit.c
+++ b/src/util/viraudit.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ void virAuditSend(virLogSourcePtr source,
                   virAuditRecordType type ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, bool success,
                   const char *fmt, ...)
 {
-    char *str = NULL;
+    VIR_AUTOFREE(char *) str = NULL;
     va_list args;
 
     /* Duplicate later checks, to short circuit & avoid printf overhead
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ void virAuditSend(virLogSourcePtr source,
         }
     }
 #endif
-    VIR_FREE(str);
 }
 
 void virAuditClose(void)