diff a/src/hotspot/share/services/diagnosticArgument.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/services/diagnosticArgument.cpp
--- a/src/hotspot/share/services/diagnosticArgument.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/services/diagnosticArgument.cpp
@@ -34,13 +34,11 @@
   assert(_array != NULL, "Sanity check");
 }
 
 StringArrayArgument::~StringArrayArgument() {
   for (int i=0; i<_array->length(); i++) {
-    if(_array->at(i) != NULL) { // Safety check
-      FREE_C_HEAP_ARRAY(char, _array->at(i));
-    }
+    FREE_C_HEAP_ARRAY(char, _array->at(i));
   }
   delete _array;
 }
 
 void StringArrayArgument::add(const char* str, size_t len) {
@@ -195,14 +193,12 @@
     set_value(NULL);
   }
 }
 
 template <> void DCmdArgument<char*>::destroy_value() {
-  if (_value != NULL) {
-    FREE_C_HEAP_ARRAY(char, _value);
-    set_value(NULL);
-  }
+  FREE_C_HEAP_ARRAY(char, _value);
+  set_value(NULL);
 }
 
 template <> void DCmdArgument<NanoTimeArgument>::parse_value(const char* str,
                                                  size_t len, TRAPS) {
   if (str == NULL) {