diff --git a/src/conky.c b/src/conky.c
index bf0662e6..dd8bb509 100644
--- a/src/conky.c
+++ b/src/conky.c
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ enum x_initialiser_state x_initialised = NO;
 static volatile int g_signal_pending;
 /* Update interval */
 double update_interval;
+void *global_cpu = NULL;
 
 
 /* prototypes for internally used functions */
@@ -7609,6 +7610,7 @@ static void clean_up(void)
 	}
 
 	clear_diskio_stats();
+	if(global_cpu != NULL) free(global_cpu);
 }
 
 static int string_to_bool(const char *s)
diff --git a/src/linux.c b/src/linux.c
index d03d0dea..af10179d 100644
--- a/src/linux.c
+++ b/src/linux.c
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@ inline static void update_stat(void)
 	double curtmp;
 	const char *stat_template = NULL;
 	unsigned int malloc_cpu_size = 0;
+	extern void* global_cpu;
 
 	/* add check for !info.cpu_usage since that mem is freed on a SIGUSR1 */
 	if (!cpu_setup || !info.cpu_usage) {
@@ -633,6 +634,7 @@ inline static void update_stat(void)
 		malloc_cpu_size = (info.cpu_count + 1) * sizeof(struct cpu_info);
 		cpu = malloc(malloc_cpu_size);
 		memset(cpu, 0, malloc_cpu_size);
+		global_cpu = cpu;
 	}
 
 	if (!(stat_fp = open_file("/proc/stat", &rep))) {