diff --git a/cmd-load-buffer.c b/cmd-load-buffer.c
index 6920a21a..b7c299b7 100644
--- a/cmd-load-buffer.c
+++ b/cmd-load-buffer.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ cmd_load_buffer_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		error = server_set_stdin_callback(c, cmd_load_buffer_callback,
 		    cdata, &cause);
 		if (error != 0) {
-			cmdq_error(item, "%s: %s", path, cause);
+			cmdq_error(item, "-: %s", cause);
 			free(cause);
 			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 		}
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ cmd_load_buffer_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	}
 
 	file = server_client_get_path(c, path);
+	free(path);
+
 	f = fopen(file, "rb");
 	if (f == NULL) {
 		cmdq_error(item, "%s: %s", file, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/cmd-save-buffer.c b/cmd-save-buffer.c
index 6d5ddafd..f6ac93a6 100644
--- a/cmd-save-buffer.c
+++ b/cmd-save-buffer.c
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ cmd_save_buffer_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		flags = "ab";
 
 	file = server_client_get_path(c, path);
+	free(path);
+
 	f = fopen(file, flags);
 	if (f == NULL) {
 		cmdq_error(item, "%s: %s", file, strerror(errno));
@@ -122,7 +124,6 @@ cmd_save_buffer_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 
 	fclose(f);
 	free(file);
-	free(path);
 
 	return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);