diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_package.c b/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
index b6cb8c4e..31a7297d 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
@@ -330,13 +330,18 @@ int _alpm_pkg_validate_internal(alpm_handle_t *handle,
 	/* even if we don't have a sig, run the check code if level tells us to */
 	if(has_sig || level & ALPM_SIG_PACKAGE) {
 		const char *sig = syncpkg ? syncpkg->base64_sig : NULL;
+		alpm_siglist_t *siglist;
 		_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "sig data: %s\n", sig ? sig : "<from .sig>");
 		if(_alpm_check_pgp_helper(handle, pkgfile, sig,
 					level & ALPM_SIG_PACKAGE_OPTIONAL, level & ALPM_SIG_PACKAGE_MARGINAL_OK,
-					level & ALPM_SIG_PACKAGE_UNKNOWN_OK)) {
+					level & ALPM_SIG_PACKAGE_UNKNOWN_OK, &siglist)) {
 			handle->pm_errno = ALPM_ERR_PKG_INVALID_SIG;
+			alpm_siglist_cleanup(siglist);
+			free(siglist);
 			return -1;
 		}
+		alpm_siglist_cleanup(siglist);
+		free(siglist);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
index 7eb2539b..ef0f1ef4 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ static int sync_db_validate(alpm_db_t *db)
 {
 	alpm_siglevel_t level;
 	const char *dbpath;
+	alpm_siglist_t *siglist;
 
 	if(db->status & DB_STATUS_VALID || db->status & DB_STATUS_MISSING) {
 		return 0;
@@ -102,10 +103,14 @@ static int sync_db_validate(alpm_db_t *db)
 	if(level & ALPM_SIG_DATABASE) {
 		if(_alpm_check_pgp_helper(db->handle, dbpath, NULL,
 					level & ALPM_SIG_DATABASE_OPTIONAL, level & ALPM_SIG_DATABASE_MARGINAL_OK,
-					level & ALPM_SIG_DATABASE_UNKNOWN_OK)) {
+					level & ALPM_SIG_DATABASE_UNKNOWN_OK, &siglist)) {
 			db->handle->pm_errno = ALPM_ERR_DB_INVALID_SIG;
+			alpm_siglist_cleanup(siglist);
+			free(siglist);
 			return 1;
 		}
+		alpm_siglist_cleanup(siglist);
+		free(siglist);
 	}
 
 valid:
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/signing.c b/lib/libalpm/signing.c
index bcc91046..7e05a237 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/signing.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/signing.c
@@ -435,15 +435,17 @@ char *_alpm_sigpath(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path)
 }
 
 int _alpm_check_pgp_helper(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path,
-		const char *base64_sig, int optional, int marginal, int unknown)
+		const char *base64_sig, int optional, int marginal, int unknown,
+		alpm_siglist_t **sigdata)
 {
-	alpm_siglist_t siglist;
+	alpm_siglist_t *siglist;
 	int ret;
 
-	memset(&siglist, 0, sizeof(alpm_siglist_t));
+	CALLOC(siglist, 1, sizeof(alpm_siglist_t),
+			RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, -1));
 
 	_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "checking signatures for %s\n", path);
-	ret = _alpm_gpgme_checksig(handle, path, base64_sig, &siglist);
+	ret = _alpm_gpgme_checksig(handle, path, base64_sig, siglist);
 	if(ret && handle->pm_errno == ALPM_ERR_SIG_MISSING) {
 		if(optional) {
 			_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "missing optional signature\n");
@@ -458,12 +460,12 @@ int _alpm_check_pgp_helper(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path,
 		/* ret will already be -1 */
 	} else {
 		size_t num;
-		for(num = 0; !ret && num < siglist.count; num++) {
-			switch(siglist.results[num].status) {
+		for(num = 0; !ret && num < siglist->count; num++) {
+			switch(siglist->results[num].status) {
 				case ALPM_SIGSTATUS_VALID:
 				case ALPM_SIGSTATUS_KEY_EXPIRED:
 					_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "signature is valid\n");
-					switch(siglist.results[num].validity) {
+					switch(siglist->results[num].validity) {
 						case ALPM_SIGVALIDITY_FULL:
 							_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "signature is fully trusted\n");
 							break;
@@ -495,7 +497,13 @@ int _alpm_check_pgp_helper(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path,
 		}
 	}
 
-	alpm_siglist_cleanup(&siglist);
+	if(sigdata) {
+		*sigdata = siglist;
+	} else {
+		alpm_siglist_cleanup(siglist);
+		free(siglist);
+	}
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/signing.h b/lib/libalpm/signing.h
index 8e47b2cd..ee4a94a0 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/signing.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/signing.h
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ char *_alpm_sigpath(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path);
 int _alpm_gpgme_checksig(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path,
 		const char *base64_sig, alpm_siglist_t *result);
 int _alpm_check_pgp_helper(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path,
-		const char *base64_sig, int optional, int marginal, int unknown);
+		const char *base64_sig, int optional, int marginal, int unknown,
+		alpm_siglist_t **sigdata);
 
 #endif /* _ALPM_SIGNING_H */