diff --git a/src/csync.c b/src/csync.c
index 89683aabc..78b1c1373 100644
--- a/src/csync.c
+++ b/src/csync.c
@@ -699,10 +699,7 @@ static void _tree_destructor(void *data) {
   csync_file_stat_t *freedata = NULL;
 
   freedata = (csync_file_stat_t *) data;
-  SAFE_FREE(freedata->md5);
-  SAFE_FREE(freedata->destpath);
-  SAFE_FREE(freedata->error_string);
-  SAFE_FREE(freedata);
+  csync_file_stat_free(freedata);
 }
 
 static int  _merge_and_write_statedb(CSYNC *ctx) {
@@ -1226,4 +1223,14 @@ int  csync_abort_requested(CSYNC *ctx)
   }
 }
 
+void csync_file_stat_free(csync_file_stat_t *st)
+{
+  if (st) {
+    SAFE_FREE(st->md5);
+    SAFE_FREE(st->error_string);
+    SAFE_FREE(st->destpath);
+    SAFE_FREE(st);
+  }
+}
+
 /* vim: set ts=8 sw=2 et cindent: */
diff --git a/src/csync_private.h b/src/csync_private.h
index 70d117012..1a177eb50 100644
--- a/src/csync_private.h
+++ b/src/csync_private.h
@@ -198,6 +198,8 @@ __attribute__ ((packed))
 #endif
 ;
 
+void csync_file_stat_free(csync_file_stat_t *st);
+
 /*
  * context for the treewalk function
  */
diff --git a/src/csync_update.c b/src/csync_update.c
index ee99cd458..4080dd61a 100644
--- a/src/csync_update.c
+++ b/src/csync_update.c
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ out:
   }
   ctx->current_fs = st;
 
-  if( tmp) SAFE_FREE(tmp->md5);
-  SAFE_FREE(tmp);
+  csync_file_stat_free(tmp);
   st->inode = fs->inode;
   st->mode  = fs->mode;
   st->size  = fs->size;
@@ -305,10 +304,8 @@ int csync_walker(CSYNC *ctx, const char *file, const csync_vio_file_stat_t *fs,
     if( !st ) {
       return 0;
     }
-    SAFE_FREE(st->md5);
-    SAFE_FREE(st->destpath);
-    SAFE_FREE(st->error_string);
-    SAFE_FREE(st);
+    csync_file_stat_free(st);
+    st = NULL;
 
     type = CSYNC_FTW_TYPE_SKIP;
     break;