diff --git a/add-interactive.c b/add-interactive.c
index 6498ae196f1e1e..e1ab39cce30350 100644
--- a/add-interactive.c
+++ b/add-interactive.c
@@ -797,14 +797,14 @@ static int run_revert(struct add_i_state *s, const struct pathspec *ps,
 	diffopt.flags.override_submodule_config = 1;
 	diffopt.repo = s->r;
 
-	if (do_diff_cache(&oid, &diffopt))
+	if (do_diff_cache(&oid, &diffopt)) {
+		diff_free(&diffopt);
 		res = -1;
-	else {
+	} else {
 		diffcore_std(&diffopt);
 		diff_flush(&diffopt);
 	}
 	free(paths);
-	clear_pathspec(&diffopt.pathspec);
 
 	if (!res && write_locked_index(s->r->index, &index_lock,
 				       COMMIT_LOCK) < 0)
diff --git a/blame.c b/blame.c
index 206c295660f29b..401990726e7f83 100644
--- a/blame.c
+++ b/blame.c
@@ -1403,7 +1403,6 @@ static struct blame_origin *find_origin(struct repository *r,
 		}
 	}
 	diff_flush(&diff_opts);
-	clear_pathspec(&diff_opts.pathspec);
 	return porigin;
 }
 
@@ -1447,7 +1446,6 @@ static struct blame_origin *find_rename(struct repository *r,
 		}
 	}
 	diff_flush(&diff_opts);
-	clear_pathspec(&diff_opts.pathspec);
 	return porigin;
 }
 
@@ -2328,7 +2326,6 @@ static void find_copy_in_parent(struct blame_scoreboard *sb,
 	} while (unblamed);
 	target->suspects = reverse_blame(leftover, NULL);
 	diff_flush(&diff_opts);
-	clear_pathspec(&diff_opts.pathspec);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/builtin/reset.c b/builtin/reset.c
index b97745ee94e5a3..24968dd628295f 100644
--- a/builtin/reset.c
+++ b/builtin/reset.c
@@ -274,7 +274,6 @@ static int read_from_tree(const struct pathspec *pathspec,
 		return 1;
 	diffcore_std(&opt);
 	diff_flush(&opt);
-	clear_pathspec(&opt.pathspec);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index c862771a58939f..0aef3db6e107e3 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -6345,6 +6345,7 @@ void diff_free(struct diff_options *options)
 
 	diff_free_file(options);
 	diff_free_ignore_regex(options);
+	clear_pathspec(&options->pathspec);
 }
 
 void diff_flush(struct diff_options *options)
diff --git a/notes-merge.c b/notes-merge.c
index b4a3a903e86f3f..7ba40cfb080266 100644
--- a/notes-merge.c
+++ b/notes-merge.c
@@ -175,7 +175,6 @@ static struct notes_merge_pair *diff_tree_remote(struct notes_merge_options *o,
 		       oid_to_hex(&mp->remote));
 	}
 	diff_flush(&opt);
-	clear_pathspec(&opt.pathspec);
 
 	*num_changes = len;
 	return changes;
@@ -261,7 +260,6 @@ static void diff_tree_local(struct notes_merge_options *o,
 		       oid_to_hex(&mp->local));
 	}
 	diff_flush(&opt);
-	clear_pathspec(&opt.pathspec);
 }
 
 static void check_notes_merge_worktree(struct notes_merge_options *o)