diff --git a/builtin/rm.c b/builtin/rm.c
index 8abb0207fa..b2fee3e90a 100644
--- a/builtin/rm.c
+++ b/builtin/rm.c
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ int cmd_rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	 */
 	if (!index_only) {
 		int removed = 0, gitmodules_modified = 0;
+		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 		for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++) {
 			const char *path = list.entry[i].name;
 			if (list.entry[i].is_submodule) {
@@ -398,7 +399,7 @@ int cmd_rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 						continue;
 					}
 				} else {
-					struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+					strbuf_reset(&buf);
 					strbuf_addstr(&buf, path);
 					if (!remove_dir_recursively(&buf, 0)) {
 						removed = 1;
@@ -410,7 +411,6 @@ int cmd_rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 						/* Submodule was removed by user */
 						if (!remove_path_from_gitmodules(path))
 							gitmodules_modified = 1;
-					strbuf_release(&buf);
 					/* Fallthrough and let remove_path() fail. */
 				}
 			}
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ int cmd_rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			if (!removed)
 				die_errno("git rm: '%s'", path);
 		}
+		strbuf_release(&buf);
 		if (gitmodules_modified)
 			stage_updated_gitmodules();
 	}