diff a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.cpp
--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.cpp
@@ -939,14 +939,12 @@
     free_this_too = buf;
   }
   (void) JVMFlag::ccstrAtPut(flag, &value, origin);
   // JVMFlag always returns a pointer that needs freeing.
   FREE_C_HEAP_ARRAY(char, value);
-  if (free_this_too != NULL) {
-    // JVMFlag made its own copy, so I must delete my own temp. buffer.
-    FREE_C_HEAP_ARRAY(char, free_this_too);
-  }
+  // JVMFlag made its own copy, so I must delete my own temp. buffer.
+  FREE_C_HEAP_ARRAY(char, free_this_too);
   return true;
 }
 
 const char* Arguments::handle_aliases_and_deprecation(const char* arg, bool warn) {
   const char* real_name = real_flag_name(arg);