diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index c211d66d1d..6696c4cfd0 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ static void finish_early_output(struct rev_info *rev)
 	show_early_header(rev, "done", n);
 }
 
-static int cmd_log_walk(struct rev_info *rev)
+static int cmd_log_walk_no_free(struct rev_info *rev)
 {
 	struct commit *commit;
 	int saved_nrl = 0;
@@ -444,7 +444,6 @@ static int cmd_log_walk(struct rev_info *rev)
 	 * and HAS_CHANGES being accumulated in rev->diffopt, so be careful to
 	 * retain that state information if replacing rev->diffopt in this loop
 	 */
-	rev->diffopt.no_free = 1;
 	while ((commit = get_revision(rev)) != NULL) {
 		if (!log_tree_commit(rev, commit) && rev->max_count >= 0)
 			/*
@@ -469,8 +468,6 @@ static int cmd_log_walk(struct rev_info *rev)
 	}
 	rev->diffopt.degraded_cc_to_c = saved_dcctc;
 	rev->diffopt.needed_rename_limit = saved_nrl;
-	rev->diffopt.no_free = 0;
-	diff_free(&rev->diffopt);
 
 	if (rev->remerge_diff) {
 		tmp_objdir_destroy(rev->remerge_objdir);
@@ -484,6 +481,17 @@ static int cmd_log_walk(struct rev_info *rev)
 	return diff_result_code(&rev->diffopt, 0);
 }
 
+static int cmd_log_walk(struct rev_info *rev)
+{
+	int retval;
+
+	rev->diffopt.no_free = 1;
+	retval = cmd_log_walk_no_free(rev);
+	rev->diffopt.no_free = 0;
+	diff_free(&rev->diffopt);
+	return retval;
+}
+
 static int git_log_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
 	const char *slot_name;
@@ -680,6 +688,7 @@ int cmd_show(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	count = rev.pending.nr;
 	objects = rev.pending.objects;
+	rev.diffopt.no_free = 1;
 	for (i = 0; i < count && !ret; i++) {
 		struct object *o = objects[i].item;
 		const char *name = objects[i].name;
@@ -725,12 +734,16 @@ int cmd_show(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			rev.pending.nr = rev.pending.alloc = 0;
 			rev.pending.objects = NULL;
 			add_object_array(o, name, &rev.pending);
-			ret = cmd_log_walk(&rev);
+			ret = cmd_log_walk_no_free(&rev);
 			break;
 		default:
 			ret = error(_("unknown type: %d"), o->type);
 		}
 	}
+
+	rev.diffopt.no_free = 0;
+	diff_free(&rev.diffopt);
+
 	free(objects);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/t/t4013-diff-various.sh b/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
index 628b01f355..056e922164 100755
--- a/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
+++ b/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
@@ -556,6 +556,25 @@ test_expect_success 'diff-tree --stdin with pathspec' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'show A B ... -- <pathspec>' '
+	# side touches dir/sub, file0, and file3
+	# master^ touches dir/sub, and file1
+	# master^^ touches dir/sub, file0, and file2
+	git show --name-only --format="<%s>" side master^ master^^ -- dir >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	<Side>
+
+	dir/sub
+	<Third>
+
+	dir/sub
+	<Second>
+
+	dir/sub
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'diff -I<regex>: setup' '
 	git checkout master &&
 	test_seq 50 >file0 &&