diff --git a/cde/programs/dtcm/server/rtable3.c b/cde/programs/dtcm/server/rtable3.c
index a76ff6aa6..412da57f0 100644
--- a/cde/programs/dtcm/server/rtable3.c
+++ b/cde/programs/dtcm/server/rtable3.c
@@ -213,11 +213,13 @@ _DtCm_rtable_delete_instance_3_svc(Table_Args_3 *args, struct svc_req *svcrq)
         if (res!=NULL) xdr_free ((xdrproc_t)_DtCm_xdr_Table_Res_3, (char*)res); res = NULL;
 
 	newargs = _DtCm_tabledelargs3_to_tabledelargs4(args, do_one_4);
-        newres = _DtCm_rtable_delete_4_svc(newargs, svcrq);  
-        res = _DtCm_tableres4_to_tableres3(newres);   
+        if(newargs) {
+                newres = _DtCm_rtable_delete_4_svc(newargs, svcrq);
+                res = _DtCm_tableres4_to_tableres3(newres);
+
+                xdr_free((xdrproc_t)_DtCm_xdr_Table_Args_4, (char*)newargs);
+        }
 
-        if (newargs!=NULL) xdr_free((xdrproc_t)_DtCm_xdr_Table_Args_4, (char*)newargs);   
-       
         return(res);
 }