diff --git a/sys/kern/imgact_elf.c b/sys/kern/imgact_elf.c
index d7e7bfc0878e..591094e5af96 100644
--- a/sys/kern/imgact_elf.c
+++ b/sys/kern/imgact_elf.c
@@ -1740,16 +1740,16 @@ __elfN(note_threadmd)(void *arg, struct sbuf *sb, size_t *sizep)
 
 	td = (struct thread *)arg;
 	size = *sizep;
-	buf = NULL;
 	if (size != 0 && sb != NULL)
 		buf = malloc(size, M_TEMP, M_ZERO | M_WAITOK);
+	else
+		buf = NULL;
 	size = 0;
 	__elfN(dump_thread)(td, buf, &size);
 	KASSERT(*sizep == size, ("invalid size"));
-	if (size != 0 && sb != NULL) {
+	if (size != 0 && sb != NULL)
 		sbuf_bcat(sb, buf, size);
-		free(buf, M_TEMP);
-	}
+	free(buf, M_TEMP);
 	*sizep = size;
 }