diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-security-attrs.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-security-attrs.c
index 0a348c074..739aef07c 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-security-attrs.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-security-attrs.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ fu_security_attrs_calculate_hsi(FuSecurityAttrs *self, FuSecurityAttrsFlags flag
 {
 	guint hsi_number = 0;
 	FwupdSecurityAttrFlags attr_flags = FWUPD_SECURITY_ATTR_FLAG_NONE;
-	GString *str = g_string_new("HSI:");
+	g_autoptr(GString) str = g_string_new("HSI:");
 	const FwupdSecurityAttrFlags hpi_suffixes[] = {
 	    FWUPD_SECURITY_ATTR_FLAG_RUNTIME_ISSUE,
 	    FWUPD_SECURITY_ATTR_FLAG_NONE,
@@ -247,10 +247,8 @@ fu_security_attrs_calculate_hsi(FuSecurityAttrs *self, FuSecurityAttrsFlags flag
 		if (fwupd_security_attr_has_flag(attr, FWUPD_SECURITY_ATTR_FLAG_RUNTIME_ISSUE) &&
 		    fwupd_security_attr_has_flag(attr, FWUPD_SECURITY_ATTR_FLAG_SUCCESS))
 			continue;
-		if (fwupd_security_attr_has_flag(attr, FWUPD_SECURITY_ATTR_FLAG_MISSING_DATA)) {
-			g_string_append(str, "INVALID:missing-data");
-			return g_string_free(str, FALSE);
-		}
+		if (fwupd_security_attr_has_flag(attr, FWUPD_SECURITY_ATTR_FLAG_MISSING_DATA))
+			return g_strdup("HSI:INVALID:missing-data");
 
 		attr_flags |= fwupd_security_attr_get_flags(attr);
 	}
@@ -273,7 +271,7 @@ fu_security_attrs_calculate_hsi(FuSecurityAttrs *self, FuSecurityAttrsFlags flag
 				       FWUPD_MICRO_VERSION);
 	}
 
-	return g_string_free(str, FALSE);
+	return g_string_free(g_steal_pointer(&str), FALSE);
 }
 
 static gchar *
diff --git a/plugins/logitech-hidpp/fu-logitech-hidpp-hidpp.c b/plugins/logitech-hidpp/fu-logitech-hidpp-hidpp.c
index 1d54acc68..dc16fa192 100644
--- a/plugins/logitech-hidpp/fu-logitech-hidpp-hidpp.c
+++ b/plugins/logitech-hidpp/fu-logitech-hidpp-hidpp.c
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@
 static gchar *
 fu_logitech_hidpp_msg_to_string(FuLogitechHidPpHidppMsg *msg)
 {
-	GString *str = g_string_new(NULL);
 	const gchar *tmp;
 	g_autoptr(GError) error = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(GString) flags_str = g_string_new(NULL);
+	g_autoptr(GString) str = g_string_new(NULL);
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail(msg != NULL, NULL);
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ fu_logitech_hidpp_msg_to_string(FuLogitechHidPpHidppMsg *msg)
 	if (!fu_logitech_hidpp_msg_is_error(msg, &error)) {
 		g_string_append_printf(str, "error:       %s\n", error->message);
 	}
-	return g_string_free(str, FALSE);
+	return g_string_free(g_steal_pointer(&str), FALSE);
 }
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/src/fu-util-common.c b/src/fu-util-common.c
index 91621b9c6..020b2da38 100644
--- a/src/fu-util-common.c
+++ b/src/fu-util-common.c
@@ -1862,9 +1862,9 @@ fu_util_release_to_string(FwupdRelease *rel, guint idt)
 	const gchar *tmp2;
 	GPtrArray *issues = fwupd_release_get_issues(rel);
 	GPtrArray *tags = fwupd_release_get_tags(rel);
-	GString *str = g_string_new(NULL);
 	guint64 flags = fwupd_release_get_flags(rel);
 	g_autofree gchar *desc_fb = NULL;
+	g_autoptr(GString) str = g_string_new(NULL);
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail(FWUPD_IS_RELEASE(rel), NULL);
 
@@ -2022,17 +2022,17 @@ fu_util_release_to_string(FwupdRelease *rel, guint idt)
 				 tag_strs);
 	}
 
-	return g_string_free(str, FALSE);
+	return g_string_free(g_steal_pointer(&str), FALSE);
 }
 
 gchar *
 fu_util_remote_to_string(FwupdRemote *remote, guint idt)
 {
-	GString *str = g_string_new(NULL);
 	FwupdRemoteKind kind = fwupd_remote_get_kind(remote);
 	FwupdKeyringKind keyring_kind = fwupd_remote_get_keyring_kind(remote);
 	const gchar *tmp;
 	gint priority;
+	g_autoptr(GString) str = g_string_new(NULL);
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail(FWUPD_IS_REMOTE(remote), NULL);
 
@@ -2149,7 +2149,7 @@ fu_util_remote_to_string(FwupdRemote *remote, guint idt)
 				 fwupd_remote_get_automatic_reports(remote) ? "true" : "false");
 	}
 
-	return g_string_free(str, FALSE);
+	return g_string_free(g_steal_pointer(&str), FALSE);
 }
 
 static void