diff --git a/backends/rng-egd.c b/backends/rng-egd.c
index 9e5a5366f7f69399f76dbf612905b0c98b963d30..6f56f9e4e44ada82992f02a7f6be3b85c718076a 100644
--- a/backends/rng-egd.c
+++ b/backends/rng-egd.c
@@ -167,7 +167,6 @@ static void rng_egd_set_chardev(Object *obj, const char *value, Error **errp)
     if (b->opened) {
         error_set(errp, QERR_PERMISSION_DENIED);
     } else {
-        g_free(s->chr_name);
         s->chr_name = g_strdup(value);
     }
 }