diff --git a/crypto/asn1/a_mbstr.c b/crypto/asn1/a_mbstr.c
index 7d80798655f1c..c8170e16267d4 100644
--- a/crypto/asn1/a_mbstr.c
+++ b/crypto/asn1/a_mbstr.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ int ASN1_mbstring_ncopy(ASN1_STRING **out, const unsigned char *in, int len,
     if (*out) {
         free_out = 0;
         dest = *out;
-        ASN1_STRING_set0(dest,  NULL, 0);
+        ASN1_STRING_set0(dest, NULL, 0);
         dest->type = str_type;
     } else {
         free_out = 1;
@@ -153,6 +153,10 @@ int ASN1_mbstring_ncopy(ASN1_STRING **out, const unsigned char *in, int len,
     /* If both the same type just copy across */
     if (inform == outform) {
         if (!ASN1_STRING_set(dest, in, len)) {
+            if (free_out) {
+                ASN1_STRING_free(dest);
+                *out = NULL;
+            }
             ERR_raise(ERR_LIB_ASN1, ERR_R_ASN1_LIB);
             return -1;
         }
@@ -183,8 +187,10 @@ int ASN1_mbstring_ncopy(ASN1_STRING **out, const unsigned char *in, int len,
         break;
     }
     if ((p = OPENSSL_malloc(outlen + 1)) == NULL) {
-        if (free_out)
+        if (free_out) {
             ASN1_STRING_free(dest);
+            *out = NULL;
+        }
         return -1;
     }
     dest->length = outlen;