diff --git a/src/emacs.c b/src/emacs.c
index 6e8ef83a81b..1239bb7bfda 100644
--- a/src/emacs.c
+++ b/src/emacs.c
@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ find_emacs_executable (char const *argv0, ptrdiff_t *candidate_size)
 
 	      if (real_name)
 		{
+		  xfree (candidate);
 		  *candidate_size = strlen (real_name) + 1;
 		  return real_name;
 		}