diff --git a/cde/lib/tt/bin/ttauth/process.c b/cde/lib/tt/bin/ttauth/process.c
index bbaddd4f3..bafd259c3 100644
--- a/cde/lib/tt/bin/ttauth/process.c
+++ b/cde/lib/tt/bin/ttauth/process.c
@@ -1252,7 +1252,7 @@ static int do_add (inputfilename, lineno, argc, argv)
     char *netid;
     char *authname;
     char *authdata_hex;
-    char *authdata;
+    char *authdata = NULL;
     int protodata_len, authdata_len;
     _tt_AuthFileEntry *entry;
     _tt_AuthFileEntryList *list;
@@ -1345,6 +1345,9 @@ static int do_add (inputfilename, lineno, argc, argv)
     entry->auth_data_length = authdata_len;
     entry->auth_data = authdata;
 
+    /* Avoid a double free later on in the event of an error */
+    authdata = NULL;
+
     if (!entry->protocol_name ||
 	(!entry->protocol_data && entry->protocol_data_length > 0) ||
         !entry->network_id || !entry->auth_name ||