diff --git a/vm/os-genunix.cpp b/vm/os-genunix.cpp
index 7bbe388..065f0df 100644
--- a/vm/os-genunix.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-genunix.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ const char *default_image_path()
        char *new_path = new char[PATH_MAX + SUFFIX_LEN + 1];
        memcpy(new_path,path,len + 1);
        memcpy(new_path + len,SUFFIX,SUFFIX_LEN + 1);
+       free(const_cast<char *>(path));
        return new_path;
 }
 
diff --git a/vm/os-linux.cpp b/vm/os-linux.cpp
index 2d26fba..352467d 100644
--- a/vm/os-linux.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-linux.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 namespace factor
 {
 
-/* Snarfed from SBCL linux-so.c. You must delete[] the result yourself. */
+/* Snarfed from SBCL linux-so.c. You must free() the result yourself. */
 const char *vm_executable_path()
 {
        char *path = new char[PATH_MAX + 1];
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ const char *vm_executable_path()
        else
        {
                path[size] = '\0';
-               return safe_strdup(path);
+
+               const char *ret = safe_strdup(path);
+               delete[] path;
+               return ret;
        }
 }