diff --git a/src/c2.c b/src/c2.c
index d0c1aeb8..70d5b84c 100644
--- a/src/c2.c
+++ b/src/c2.c
@@ -886,11 +886,10 @@ static int c2_parse_pattern(const char *pattern, int offset, c2_ptr_t *presult)
 				case 'v': *(ptptnstr++) = '\v'; break;
 				case 'o':
 				case 'x': {
-					char *tstr = strndup(pattern + offset + 1, 2);
+					scoped_charp tstr = strndup(pattern + offset + 1, 2);
 					char *pstr = NULL;
 					long val = strtol(
 					    tstr, &pstr, ('o' == pattern[offset] ? 8 : 16));
-					free(tstr);
 					if (pstr != &tstr[2] || val <= 0)
 						c2_error("Invalid octal/hex escape "
 						         "sequence.");
diff --git a/src/compiler.h b/src/compiler.h
index f146bd21..76326707 100644
--- a/src/compiler.h
+++ b/src/compiler.h
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@
 # define fallthrough()
 #endif
 
+#if __has_attribute(cleanup)
+# define cleanup(func) __attribute__((cleanup(func)))
+#else
+# error "Compiler is missing cleanup attribute"
+#endif
+
 #if __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L
 # define attr_noret _Noreturn
 #else
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 23a5abb1..b9a81b46 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -273,6 +273,15 @@ allocchk_(const char *func_name, const char *file, unsigned int line, void *ptr)
 	void name##_ref(type *a);                                                        \
 	void name##_unref(type **a);
 
+static inline void free_charpp(char **str) {
+	if (str) {
+		free(*str);
+		*str = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
+/// An allocated char* that is automatically freed when it goes out of scope.
+#define scoped_charp char *cleanup(free_charpp)
 
 ///
 /// Calculates next closest power of two of 32bit integer n