diff --git a/src/output-json-alert.c b/src/output-json-alert.c
index 55c51dd7d4..60d2f7bc10 100644
--- a/src/output-json-alert.c
+++ b/src/output-json-alert.c
@@ -260,11 +260,18 @@ static TmEcode JsonAlertLogThreadDeinit(ThreadVars *t, void *data)
 
 static void JsonAlertLogDeInitCtx(OutputCtx *output_ctx)
 {
+    SCLogDebug("cleaning up output_ctx");
     LogFileCtx *logfile_ctx = (LogFileCtx *)output_ctx->data;
     LogFileFreeCtx(logfile_ctx);
     SCFree(output_ctx);
 }
 
+static void JsonAlertLogDeInitCtxSub(OutputCtx *output_ctx)
+{
+    SCLogDebug("cleaning up sub output_ctx %p", output_ctx);
+    SCFree(output_ctx);
+}
+
 #define DEFAULT_LOG_FILENAME "alert.json"
 /**
  * \brief Create a new LogFileCtx for "fast" output style.
@@ -307,7 +314,7 @@ static OutputCtx *JsonAlertLogInitCtxSub(ConfNode *conf, OutputCtx *parent_ctx)
         return NULL;
 
     output_ctx->data = ajt->file_ctx;
-    output_ctx->DeInit = JsonAlertLogDeInitCtx;
+    output_ctx->DeInit = JsonAlertLogDeInitCtxSub;
 
     return output_ctx;
 }