diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/ntfs/fs_func.c b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/ntfs/fs_func.c
index 7f68ba138f..bc8ed891eb 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/ntfs/fs_func.c
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/ntfs/fs_func.c
@@ -398,7 +398,6 @@ fs_walk(fs_volume *_vol, fs_vnode *_dir, const char *file, ino_t *vnid)
 		ERRPRINT("fs_walk - VNID = %d\n",*vnid);
 
 		ntfs_inode_close(bi);
-		free(unicode);
 
 		if (*vnid == (u64)-1) {
 			result = EINVAL;
@@ -415,6 +414,9 @@ fs_walk(fs_volume *_vol, fs_vnode *_dir, const char *file, ino_t *vnid)
 exit:
 	ERRPRINT("fs_walk - EXIT, result is %s\n", strerror(result));
 
+	if (unicode)
+		free(unicode);
+
 	UNLOCK_VOL(ns);
 
 	return result;