diff --git a/connect.c b/connect.c
index 49b28b83be..df56c0cbff 100644
--- a/connect.c
+++ b/connect.c
@@ -778,7 +778,6 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 	char *hostandport, *path;
 	struct child_process *conn = &no_fork;
 	enum protocol protocol;
-	struct strbuf cmd = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	/* Without this we cannot rely on waitpid() to tell
 	 * what happened to our children.
@@ -826,6 +825,8 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 			     target_host, 0);
 		free(target_host);
 	} else {
+		struct strbuf cmd = STRBUF_INIT;
+
 		conn = xmalloc(sizeof(*conn));
 		child_process_init(conn);
 
@@ -862,6 +863,7 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 				free(hostandport);
 				free(path);
 				free(conn);
+				strbuf_release(&cmd);
 				return NULL;
 			}