diff --git a/t/t7513-interpret-trailers.sh b/t/t7513-interpret-trailers.sh
index 0f7d8938d9..38d6ccaa00 100755
--- a/t/t7513-interpret-trailers.sh
+++ b/t/t7513-interpret-trailers.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 test_description='git interpret-trailers'
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 # When we want one trailing space at the end of each line, let's use sed
diff --git a/trailer.c b/trailer.c
index 6bafe92b32..8ba350404d 100644
--- a/trailer.c
+++ b/trailer.c
@@ -1111,6 +1111,8 @@ void format_trailers(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
 		     struct list_head *trailers,
 		     struct strbuf *out)
 {
+	struct strbuf tok = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf val = STRBUF_INIT;
 	size_t origlen = out->len;
 	struct list_head *pos;
 	struct trailer_item *item;
@@ -1118,9 +1120,9 @@ void format_trailers(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
 	list_for_each(pos, trailers) {
 		item = list_entry(pos, struct trailer_item, list);
 		if (item->token) {
-			struct strbuf tok = STRBUF_INIT;
-			struct strbuf val = STRBUF_INIT;
+			strbuf_reset(&tok);
 			strbuf_addstr(&tok, item->token);
+			strbuf_reset(&val);
 			strbuf_addstr(&val, item->value);
 
 			/*
@@ -1151,9 +1153,6 @@ void format_trailers(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
 				if (!opts->separator)
 					strbuf_addch(out, '\n');
 			}
-			strbuf_release(&tok);
-			strbuf_release(&val);
-
 		} else if (!opts->only_trailers) {
 			if (opts->separator && out->len != origlen) {
 				strbuf_addbuf(out, opts->separator);
@@ -1165,6 +1164,9 @@ void format_trailers(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
 				strbuf_addch(out, '\n');
 		}
 	}
+
+	strbuf_release(&tok);
+	strbuf_release(&val);
 }
 
 void format_trailers_from_commit(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,