diff --git a/util/lar/lib.c b/util/lar/lib.c
index 4d19ba7973..68a646f2c0 100644
--- a/util/lar/lib.c
+++ b/util/lar/lib.c
@@ -208,7 +208,6 @@ int add_files(const char *name)
 	char *c;
 
 	if (strstr(name, "nocompress:") == name) {
-		free(realname);
 		realname = strdup(name + 11);
 	} else {
 		realname = strdup(name);