diff --git a/src/alert-unified-log.c b/src/alert-unified-log.c
index e92a55e91c..119476ffbf 100644
--- a/src/alert-unified-log.c
+++ b/src/alert-unified-log.c
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ TmEcode AlertUnifiedLogThreadInit(ThreadVars *t, void *initdata, void **data)
     if (aun->file_ctx->fp == NULL) {
         SCLogError (SC_ERR_OPENING_FILE, "Target file has not been opened, check"
                 " the write permission");
+        SCFree(aun);
         return TM_ECODE_FAILED;
     }