diff --git a/src/libinput-plugin-lua.c b/src/libinput-plugin-lua.c
index 1036b3f0..e7f6618e 100644
--- a/src/libinput-plugin-lua.c
+++ b/src/libinput-plugin-lua.c
@@ -375,8 +375,7 @@ remove_device(struct libinput_lua_plugin *plugin, EvdevDevice *evdev)
 	list_for_each_safe(prop, &evdev->udev_properties_list, link) {
 		udev_property_destroy(prop);
 	}
-	free(evdev->name);
-	evdev->name = NULL;
+	free_clear(&evdev->name);
 	evdev->device = libinput_device_unref(evdev->device);
 
 	/* This device no longer exists but our lua code may have a
diff --git a/src/util-bits.h b/src/util-bits.h
index bf6a69f2..801dd3a3 100644
--- a/src/util-bits.h
+++ b/src/util-bits.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "util-macros.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 #define bit(x_) (1UL << (x_))
 #define NBITS(b) (b * 8)
@@ -281,8 +282,7 @@ infmask_new(void)
 
 _nonnull_(1) static inline void infmask_reset(infmask_t *mask)
 {
-	free(mask->mask);
-	mask->mask = NULL;
+	free_clear(&mask->mask);
 	mask->nmasks = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util-mem.h b/src/util-mem.h
index 166ea82d..fe2522e6 100644
--- a/src/util-mem.h
+++ b/src/util-mem.h
@@ -186,3 +186,14 @@ steal_fd(int *fd)
 	*fd = -1;
 	return copy;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Frees the pointer content and resets the data to NULL.
+ */
+#define free_clear(ptr_)                  \
+	do {                              \
+		typeof((ptr_)) _pp = (ptr_);  \
+		typeof(*(ptr_)) _p = *_pp;    \
+		*_pp = NULL;                  \
+		free(_p);                     \
+	} while(0)
diff --git a/src/util-stringbuf.h b/src/util-stringbuf.h
index 7ab13383..5f545dbb 100644
--- a/src/util-stringbuf.h
+++ b/src/util-stringbuf.h
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ stringbuf_is_empty(struct stringbuf *b)
 static inline void
 stringbuf_reset(struct stringbuf *b)
 {
-	free(b->data);
-	b->data = NULL;
+	free_clear(&b->data);
 	b->sz = 0;
 	b->len = 0;
 }
diff --git a/tools/libinput-record.c b/tools/libinput-record.c
index a06b9c3f..d858f266 100644
--- a/tools/libinput-record.c
+++ b/tools/libinput-record.c
@@ -2372,8 +2372,7 @@ mainloop(struct record_context *ctx)
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		free(ctx->output_file.name_with_suffix);
-		ctx->output_file.name_with_suffix = NULL;
+		free_clear(&ctx->output_file.name_with_suffix);
 	} while (autorestart && !ctx->stop);
 
 	sigprocmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &mask, NULL);