diff --git a/apps/openssl.c b/apps/openssl.c
index 7edd9e313..a34401177 100644
--- a/apps/openssl.c
+++ b/apps/openssl.c
@@ -274,7 +274,12 @@ int main(int Argc, char *Argv[])
 
 	config=NCONF_new(NULL);
 	i=NCONF_load(config,p,&errline);
-	if (i == 0) ERR_clear_error();
+	if (i == 0)
+		{
+		NCONF_free(config);
+		config = NULL;
+		ERR_clear_error();
+		}
 
 	prog=prog_init();
 
diff --git a/apps/req.c b/apps/req.c
index 9611431fe..54ddfab0f 100644
--- a/apps/req.c
+++ b/apps/req.c
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ bad:
 		req_conf=config;
 		BIO_printf(bio_err,"Using configuration from %s\n",
 			default_config_file);
-		if (i == 0)
+		if (req_conf == NULL)
 			{
 			BIO_printf(bio_err,"Unable to load config info\n");
 			}