diff --git a/include/types/arg.h b/include/types/arg.h
index 236972148..2762674ee 100644
--- a/include/types/arg.h
+++ b/include/types/arg.h
@@ -63,8 +63,9 @@ union arg_data {
 };
 
 struct arg {
-	int type;              /* argument type */
-	union arg_data data;   /* argument data */
+	unsigned char type;       /* argument type, ARGT_* */
+	unsigned char unresolved; /* argument contains a string in <str> that must be resolved and freed */
+	union arg_data data;      /* argument data */
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/acl.c b/src/acl.c
index 8ec046ff0..e51dafc9d 100644
--- a/src/acl.c
+++ b/src/acl.c
@@ -1227,11 +1227,10 @@ static struct acl_expr *prune_acl_expr(struct acl_expr *expr)
 	for (arg = expr->args; arg; arg++) {
 		if (arg->type == ARGT_STOP)
 			break;
-		if (arg->type == ARGT_FE || arg->type == ARGT_BE ||
-		    arg->type == ARGT_TAB || arg->type == ARGT_SRV ||
-		    arg->type == ARGT_USR || arg->type == ARGT_STR) {
+		if (arg->type == ARGT_STR || arg->unresolved) {
 			free(arg->data.str.str);
 			arg->data.str.str = NULL;
+			arg->unresolved = 0;
 		}
 		arg++;
 	}
@@ -2065,6 +2064,8 @@ acl_find_targets(struct proxy *p)
 			for (arg = expr->args; arg; arg++) {
 				if (arg->type == ARGT_STOP)
 					break;
+				else if (!arg->unresolved)
+					continue;
 				else if (arg->type == ARGT_SRV) {
 					struct proxy *px;
 					struct server *srv;
@@ -2107,6 +2108,8 @@ acl_find_targets(struct proxy *p)
 					}
 
 					free(expr->args->data.str.str);
+					expr->args->data.str.str = NULL;
+					arg->unresolved = 0;
 					expr->args->data.srv = srv;
 				}
 				else if (arg->type == ARGT_FE) {
@@ -2133,6 +2136,8 @@ acl_find_targets(struct proxy *p)
 					}
 
 					free(expr->args->data.str.str);
+					expr->args->data.str.str = NULL;
+					arg->unresolved = 0;
 					expr->args->data.prx = prx;
 				}
 				else if (arg->type == ARGT_BE) {
@@ -2159,6 +2164,8 @@ acl_find_targets(struct proxy *p)
 					}
 
 					free(expr->args->data.str.str);
+					expr->args->data.str.str = NULL;
+					arg->unresolved = 0;
 					expr->args->data.prx = prx;
 				}
 				else if (arg->type == ARGT_TAB) {
@@ -2186,6 +2193,8 @@ acl_find_targets(struct proxy *p)
 					}
 
 					free(expr->args->data.str.str);
+					expr->args->data.str.str = NULL;
+					arg->unresolved = 0;
 					expr->args->data.prx = prx;
 				}
 				else if (arg->type == ARGT_USR) {
@@ -2210,6 +2219,8 @@ acl_find_targets(struct proxy *p)
 					}
 
 					free(expr->args->data.str.str);
+					expr->args->data.str.str = NULL;
+					arg->unresolved = 0;
 					expr->args->data.usr = ul;
 				}
 			} /* end of args processing */
diff --git a/src/arg.c b/src/arg.c
index 457c5b38d..9d5fceec2 100644
--- a/src/arg.c
+++ b/src/arg.c
@@ -127,6 +127,11 @@ int make_arg_list(const char *in, int len, unsigned int mask, struct arg **argp,
 		case ARGT_TAB:
 		case ARGT_SRV:
 		case ARGT_USR:
+			/* These argument types need to be stored as strings during
+			 * parsing then resolved later.
+			 */
+			arg->unresolved = 1;
+			/* fall through */
 		case ARGT_STR:
 			/* all types that must be resolved are stored as strings
 			 * during the parsing. The caller must at one point resolve
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index ff962c274..48c343344 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -772,11 +772,10 @@ static void deinit_sample_arg(struct arg *p)
 		return;
 
 	while (p->type != ARGT_STOP) {
-		if (p->type == ARGT_FE || p->type == ARGT_BE ||
-		    p->type == ARGT_TAB || p->type == ARGT_SRV ||
-		    p->type == ARGT_USR || p->type == ARGT_STR) {
+		if (p->type == ARGT_STR || p->unresolved) {
 			free(p->data.str.str);
 			p->data.str.str = NULL;
+			p->unresolved = 0;
 		}
 		p++;
 	}