diff --git a/daemon/acl_list.c b/daemon/acl_list.c
index 4d40b092c..98be99b35 100644
--- a/daemon/acl_list.c
+++ b/daemon/acl_list.c
@@ -298,8 +298,10 @@ read_acl_tags(struct acl_list* acl, struct config_file* cfg)
 	cfg->acl_tags = NULL;
 	while(p) {
 		log_assert(p->str && p->str2);
-		if(!acl_list_tags_cfg(acl, p->str, p->str2, p->str2len))
+		if(!acl_list_tags_cfg(acl, p->str, p->str2, p->str2len)) {
+			config_del_strbytelist(p);
 			return 0;
+		}
 		/* free the items as we go to free up memory */
 		np = p->next;
 		free(p->str);
diff --git a/util/config_file.c b/util/config_file.c
index 90ab61d8c..4754e2d51 100644
--- a/util/config_file.c
+++ b/util/config_file.c
@@ -996,8 +996,7 @@ config_del_strarray(char** array, int num)
 	free(array);
 }
 
-/** delete stringbytelist */
-static void
+void
 config_del_strbytelist(struct config_strbytelist* p)
 {
 	struct config_strbytelist* np;
diff --git a/util/config_file.h b/util/config_file.h
index 2483581e6..505c66f88 100644
--- a/util/config_file.h
+++ b/util/config_file.h
@@ -664,6 +664,9 @@ void config_deldblstrlist(struct config_str2list* list);
  */
 void config_deltrplstrlist(struct config_str3list* list);
 
+/** delete stringbytelist */
+void config_del_strbytelist(struct config_strbytelist* list);
+
 /**
  * Delete a stub item
  * @param p: stub item