diff --git a/tests/checkout/tree.c b/tests/checkout/tree.c
index c9581fdc5..b3b860c63 100644
--- a/tests/checkout/tree.c
+++ b/tests/checkout/tree.c
@@ -441,6 +441,7 @@ void test_checkout_tree__pathlist_checkout_ignores_non_matches(void)
 	cl_assert(git_path_exists("testrepo/link_to_new.txt"));
 	cl_assert(git_path_exists("testrepo/new.txt"));
 
+	git_object_free(g_object);
 	cl_git_pass(git_revparse_single(&g_object, g_repo, "8496071c1b46c854b31185ea97743be6a8774479"));
 
 	g_opts.checkout_strategy =
@@ -454,10 +455,6 @@ void test_checkout_tree__pathlist_checkout_ignores_non_matches(void)
 	cl_assert(!git_path_exists("testrepo/branch_file.txt"));
 	cl_assert(!git_path_exists("testrepo/link_to_new.txt"));
 	cl_assert(git_path_exists("testrepo/new.txt"));
-
-	git_object_free(g_object);
-	g_object = NULL;
-
 }
 
 void test_checkout_tree__can_disable_pattern_match(void)