diff --git a/line-log.c b/line-log.c
index bd3e663c24..67c80b39a0 100644
--- a/line-log.c
+++ b/line-log.c
@@ -899,14 +899,12 @@ static void print_line(const char *prefix, char first,
 
 static char *output_prefix(struct diff_options *opt)
 {
-	char *prefix = "";
-
 	if (opt->output_prefix) {
 		struct strbuf *sb = opt->output_prefix(opt, opt->output_prefix_data);
-		prefix = sb->buf;
+		return sb->buf;
+	} else {
+		return xstrdup("");
 	}
-
-	return prefix;
 }
 
 static void dump_diff_hacky_one(struct rev_info *rev, struct line_log_data *range)
@@ -927,7 +925,7 @@ static void dump_diff_hacky_one(struct rev_info *rev, struct line_log_data *rang
 	const char *c_context = diff_get_color(opt->use_color, DIFF_CONTEXT);
 
 	if (!pair || !diff)
-		return;
+		goto out;
 
 	if (pair->one->oid_valid)
 		fill_line_ends(rev->diffopt.repo, pair->one, &p_lines, &p_ends);
@@ -1002,8 +1000,10 @@ static void dump_diff_hacky_one(struct rev_info *rev, struct line_log_data *rang
 				   c_context, c_reset, opt->file);
 	}
 
+out:
 	free(p_ends);
 	free(t_ends);
+	free(prefix);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1012,7 +1012,11 @@ static void dump_diff_hacky_one(struct rev_info *rev, struct line_log_data *rang
  */
 static void dump_diff_hacky(struct rev_info *rev, struct line_log_data *range)
 {
-	fprintf(rev->diffopt.file, "%s\n", output_prefix(&rev->diffopt));
+	char *prefix = output_prefix(&rev->diffopt);
+
+	fprintf(rev->diffopt.file, "%s\n", prefix);
+	free(prefix);
+
 	while (range) {
 		dump_diff_hacky_one(rev, range);
 		range = range->next;