diff --git a/tools/iio/iio_utils.c b/tools/iio/iio_utils.c
index 6f6452167b670a833ecc50b6eb136743a9fafd05..f879ad7b88bc8b28bd7e72686969728913ab9555 100644
--- a/tools/iio/iio_utils.c
+++ b/tools/iio/iio_utils.c
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ int build_channel_array(const char *device_dir,
 	}
 
 	closedir(dp);
+	free(scan_el_dir);
 	/* reorder so that the array is in index order */
 	bsort_channel_array_by_index(ci_array, *counter);