diff --git a/src/cc_encoders_common.c b/src/cc_encoders_common.c
index 8e336a7d..0fa3c99e 100644
--- a/src/cc_encoders_common.c
+++ b/src/cc_encoders_common.c
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ int encode_sub(struct encoder_ctx *context, struct cc_subtitle *sub)
 		if (ccx_options.gui_mode_reports)
 			write_cc_buffer_to_gui(sub->data, context);
 	}
-
-	freep(&sub->data);
+	if (!sub->nb_data)
+		freep(&sub->data);
 	return wrote_something;
 }