diff --git a/lib/cookie.c b/lib/cookie.c
index fc918136a..b6790677f 100644
--- a/lib/cookie.c
+++ b/lib/cookie.c
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ Example set of cookies:
 #include "strequal.h"
 #include "strtok.h"
 #include "sendf.h"
+#include "slist.h"
 #include "curl_memory.h"
 #include "share.h"
 #include "strtoofft.h"
@@ -1232,9 +1233,9 @@ struct curl_slist *Curl_cookie_list(struct SessionHandle *data)
       curl_slist_free_all(list);
       return NULL;
     }
-    beg = curl_slist_append(list, line);
-    free(line);
+    beg = Curl_slist_append_nodup(list, line);
     if(!beg) {
+      free(line);
       curl_slist_free_all(list);
       return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/lib/slist.c b/lib/slist.c
index 92c699ec9..8e52c7061 100644
--- a/lib/slist.c
+++ b/lib/slist.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  *                            | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
  *                             \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2011, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2013, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
  *
  * This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
  * you should have received as part of this distribution. The terms
@@ -45,6 +45,39 @@ static struct curl_slist *slist_get_last(struct curl_slist *list)
   return item;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Curl_slist_append_nodup() appends a string to the linked list. Rather than
+ * copying the string in dynamic storage, it takes its ownership. The string
+ * should have been malloc()ated. Curl_slist_append_nodup always returns
+ * the address of the first record, so that you can use this function as an
+ * initialization function as well as an append function.
+ * If an error occurs, NULL is returned and the string argument is NOT
+ * released.
+ */
+struct curl_slist *Curl_slist_append_nodup(struct curl_slist *list, char *data)
+{
+  struct curl_slist     *last;
+  struct curl_slist     *new_item;
+
+  if(!data)
+    return NULL;
+
+  new_item = malloc(sizeof(struct curl_slist));
+  if(!new_item)
+    return NULL;
+
+  new_item->next = NULL;
+  new_item->data = data;
+
+  /* if this is the first item, then new_item *is* the list */
+  if(!list)
+    return new_item;
+
+    last = slist_get_last(list);
+    last->next = new_item;
+    return list;
+  }
+
 /*
  * curl_slist_append() appends a string to the linked list. It always returns
  * the address of the first record, so that you can use this function as an
@@ -55,32 +88,16 @@ static struct curl_slist *slist_get_last(struct curl_slist *list)
 struct curl_slist *curl_slist_append(struct curl_slist *list,
                                      const char *data)
 {
-  struct curl_slist     *last;
-  struct curl_slist     *new_item;
+  char *dupdata = strdup(data);
 
-  new_item = malloc(sizeof(struct curl_slist));
-  if(new_item) {
-    char *dupdata = strdup(data);
-    if(dupdata) {
-      new_item->next = NULL;
-      new_item->data = dupdata;
-    }
-    else {
-      free(new_item);
-      return NULL;
-    }
-  }
-  else
+  if(!data)
     return NULL;
 
-  if(list) {
-    last = slist_get_last(list);
-    last->next = new_item;
-    return list;
-  }
+  list = Curl_slist_append_nodup(list, dupdata);
+  if(!list)
+    free(dupdata);
 
-  /* if this is the first item, then new_item *is* the list */
-  return new_item;
+  return list;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/lib/slist.h b/lib/slist.h
index aede1f041..ea7dcc48b 100644
--- a/lib/slist.h
+++ b/lib/slist.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  *                            | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
  *                             \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2009, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2013, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
  *
  * This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
  * you should have received as part of this distribution. The terms
@@ -29,5 +29,12 @@
  */
 struct curl_slist *Curl_slist_duplicate(struct curl_slist *inlist);
 
+/*
+ * Curl_slist_append_nodup() takes ownership of the given string and appends
+ * it to the list.
+ */
+struct curl_slist *Curl_slist_append_nodup(struct curl_slist *list,
+                                           char *data);
+
 #endif /* HEADER_CURL_SLIST_H */