diff --git a/lib/smb.c b/lib/smb.c
index 2ddbb2086..56a38c2f2 100644
--- a/lib/smb.c
+++ b/lib/smb.c
@@ -905,7 +905,6 @@ static CURLcode smb_disconnect(struct connectdata *conn, bool dead)
   /* smb_done is not always called, so cleanup the request */
   if(req) {
     Curl_safefree(req->share);
-    Curl_safefree(conn->data->req.protop);
   }
 
   return CURLE_OK;
diff --git a/lib/ssh.c b/lib/ssh.c
index e72b7561e..7bc313622 100644
--- a/lib/ssh.c
+++ b/lib/ssh.c
@@ -3057,8 +3057,6 @@ static CURLcode scp_disconnect(struct connectdata *conn, bool dead_connection)
   struct ssh_conn *ssh = &conn->proto.sshc;
   (void) dead_connection;
 
-  Curl_safefree(conn->data->req.protop);
-
   if(ssh->ssh_session) {
     /* only if there's a session still around to use! */
 
@@ -3220,8 +3218,6 @@ static CURLcode sftp_disconnect(struct connectdata *conn, bool dead_connection)
 
   DEBUGF(infof(conn->data, "SSH DISCONNECT starts now\n"));
 
-  Curl_safefree(conn->data->req.protop);
-
   if(conn->proto.sshc.ssh_session) {
     /* only if there's a session still around to use! */
     state(conn, SSH_SFTP_SHUTDOWN);