diff --git a/src/608.c b/src/608.c
index 8cf36b3c..b42020e8 100644
--- a/src/608.c
+++ b/src/608.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "ccextractor.h"
 #include "608_spupng.h"
 #include "cc_decoders_common.h"
+#include "utility.h"
 
 static const int rowdata[] = {11,-1,1,2,3,4,12,13,14,15,5,6,7,8,9,10};
 // Relationship between the first PAC byte and the row number
@@ -585,11 +586,8 @@ int write_cc_buffer(struct s_context_cc608 *context)
 		if (ccx_options.gui_mode_reports)
 			write_cc_buffer_to_gui(data, context);
 		data = (struct eia608_screen*)sub->data + 1;
-		if (sub->data && !sub->size)
-		{
-			free(sub->data);
-			sub->data = NULL;
-		}
+		if (!sub->size)
+			freep(&sub->data);
 	}
 
 	return wrote_something;
diff --git a/src/dvb_subtitle_decoder.c b/src/dvb_subtitle_decoder.c
index f24c8340..060b654d 100644
--- a/src/dvb_subtitle_decoder.c
+++ b/src/dvb_subtitle_decoder.c
@@ -188,15 +188,6 @@ static __inline unsigned int get_bits1(GetBitContext *s)
 
 	return result;
 }
-
-static void freep(void *arg)
-{
-	void **ptr = (void **) arg;
-	if (*ptr)
-		free(*ptr);
-	*ptr = NULL;
-
-}
 #ifdef DEBUG
 
 struct transIntensity
diff --git a/src/utility.c b/src/utility.c
index 1e3c387f..86f750a3 100644
--- a/src/utility.c
+++ b/src/utility.c
@@ -336,3 +336,12 @@ int string_cmp(const void *p1,const void *p2)
 {
 	return string_cmp2(p1, p2, NULL);
 }
+
+void freep(void *arg)
+{
+	void **ptr = (void **) arg;
+	if (*ptr)
+		free(*ptr);
+	*ptr = NULL;
+
+}
diff --git a/src/utility.h b/src/utility.h
index c5ab031f..9ebb2675 100644
--- a/src/utility.h
+++ b/src/utility.h
@@ -13,5 +13,6 @@
 void shell_sort(void *base, int nb,size_t size,int (*compar)(const void*p1,const void *p2,void*arg),void *arg);
 int string_cmp(const void *p1,const void *p2);
 int string_cmp2(const void *p1,const void *p2,void *arg);
+void freep(void *arg);
 
 #endif