diff --git a/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemPathsWin32.cc b/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemPathsWin32.cc
index d1c159a2591..e71e32157f0 100644
--- a/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemPathsWin32.cc
+++ b/intern/ghost/intern/GHOST_SystemPathsWin32.cc
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const char *GHOST_SystemPathsWin32::getSystemDir(int, const char *versionstr) co
     strcat(knownpath, versionstr);
     return knownpath;
   }
-
+  CoTaskMemFree(knownpath_16);
   return nullptr;
 }
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ const char *GHOST_SystemPathsWin32::getUserDir(int, const char *versionstr) cons
     strcat(knownpath, versionstr);
     return knownpath;
   }
-
+  CoTaskMemFree(knownpath_16);
   return nullptr;
 }
 
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ const char *GHOST_SystemPathsWin32::getUserSpecialDir(GHOST_TUserSpecialDirTypes
     CoTaskMemFree(knownpath_16);
     return knownpath;
   }
-
   CoTaskMemFree(knownpath_16);
   return nullptr;
 }
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_file/fsmenu_system.cc b/source/blender/editors/space_file/fsmenu_system.cc
index ab80befe0d5..e9b8417ad34 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_file/fsmenu_system.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_file/fsmenu_system.cc
@@ -234,9 +234,9 @@ static void fsmenu_add_windows_folder(FSMenu *fsmenu,
   char line[FILE_MAXDIR];
   if (SHGetKnownFolderPath(rfid, 0, nullptr, &pPath) == S_OK) {
     BLI_strncpy_wchar_as_utf8(line, pPath, FILE_MAXDIR);
-    CoTaskMemFree(pPath);
     fsmenu_insert_entry(fsmenu, category, line, name, icon, flag);
   }
+  CoTaskMemFree(pPath);
 }
 #endif