diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 5be7ed0..e1fa7a1 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ corrections:
 	UDP-LISTEN slept 1s after accepting a connection. This is not required.
 	Thanks to Peter Valdemar Morch for reporting this issue
 
+	fixed a bug that could lead to error or socat crash after a client
+	connection with option retry had been established
+
 porting:
 	Cedril Priscal ported socat to Android (using Googles cross compiler).
 	The port includes the socat_buildscript_for_android.sh script
diff --git a/xioopts.c b/xioopts.c
index ddd0fe8..0b66e9a 100644
--- a/xioopts.c
+++ b/xioopts.c
@@ -4173,9 +4173,8 @@ int _xio_openlate(struct single *fd, struct opt *opts) {
 int dropopts(struct opt *opts, unsigned int phase) {
    struct opt *opt;
 
-   /*!*/
    if (phase == PH_ALL) {
-      free(opts);
+      opts[0].desc = ODESC_END;
       return 0;
    }
    opt = opts; while (opt && opt->desc != ODESC_END) {