--- a/src/exec.c	2014-05-22 13:55:45.607883583 +0200
+++ b/src/exec.c	2014-05-22 16:11:16.759364628 +0200
@@ -84,6 +84,23 @@ static pthread_mutex_t pl_lock = PTHREAD
 /*
  * Functions
  */
+static void free_pl(program_list_t *pl) 
+{
+  /* free memory in children */
+  program_list_t *next;
+  while (pl != NULL) {
+  	int i;
+	next = pl->next;
+	for (i=0; pl->argv && pl->argv[i]; i++)
+		sfree (pl->argv[i]);
+	sfree (pl->argv);
+	sfree (pl->exec);
+	sfree (pl->user);
+	sfree (pl);
+	pl = next;
+  } /* while (pl) */
+}
+
 static void sigchld_handler (int __attribute__((unused)) signal) /* {{{ */
 {
   pid_t pid;
@@ -142,7 +159,7 @@ static int exec_config_exec (oconfig_ite
   if (pl->user == NULL)
   {
     ERROR ("exec plugin: strdup failed.");
-    sfree (pl);
+    free_pl(pl);
     return (-1);
   }
 
@@ -157,8 +174,7 @@ static int exec_config_exec (oconfig_ite
   if (pl->exec == NULL)
   {
     ERROR ("exec plugin: strdup failed.");
-    sfree (pl->user);
-    sfree (pl);
+    free_pl(pl);
     return (-1);
   }
 
@@ -166,9 +182,7 @@ static int exec_config_exec (oconfig_ite
   if (pl->argv == NULL)
   {
     ERROR ("exec plugin: malloc failed.");
-    sfree (pl->exec);
-    sfree (pl->user);
-    sfree (pl);
+    free_pl(pl);
     return (-1);
   }
   memset (pl->argv, '\0', ci->values_num * sizeof (char *));
@@ -184,10 +198,7 @@ static int exec_config_exec (oconfig_ite
   if (pl->argv[0] == NULL)
   {
     ERROR ("exec plugin: malloc failed.");
-    sfree (pl->argv);
-    sfree (pl->exec);
-    sfree (pl->user);
-    sfree (pl);
+    free_pl(pl);
     return (-1);
   }
 
@@ -224,14 +235,7 @@ static int exec_config_exec (oconfig_ite
 
   if (i < (ci->values_num - 1))
   {
-    while ((--i) >= 0)
-    {
-      sfree (pl->argv[i]);
-    }
-    sfree (pl->argv);
-    sfree (pl->exec);
-    sfree (pl->user);
-    sfree (pl);
+    free_pl(pl);
     return (-1);
   }
 
@@ -427,7 +431,7 @@ static int fork_child (program_list_t *p
   int status;
   int pid;
 
-  if (pl->pid != 0)
+  if (!pl || pl->pid != 0)
     return (-1);
 
   status = pipe (fd_pipe_in);
@@ -466,6 +470,9 @@ static int fork_child (program_list_t *p
     int fd_num;
     int fd;
 
+    /* free memory in children */
+    free_pl(pl_head);
+
     /* Close all file descriptors but the pipe end we need. */
     fd_num = getdtablesize ();
     for (fd = 0; fd < fd_num; fd++)
@@ -552,10 +559,6 @@ static void *exec_read_one (void *arg) /
   int fd, fd_err, highest_fd;
   fd_set fdset, copy;
   int status;
-  char buffer[1200];  /* if not completely read */
-  char buffer_err[1024];
-  char *pbuffer = buffer;
-  char *pbuffer_err = buffer_err;
 
   status = fork_child (pl, NULL, &fd, &fd_err);
   if (status < 0)
@@ -564,6 +567,7 @@ static void *exec_read_one (void *arg) /
     pthread_mutex_lock (&pl_lock);
     pl->flags &= ~PL_RUNNING;
     pthread_mutex_unlock (&pl_lock);
+    free_pl (arg);
     pthread_exit ((void *) 1);
   }
   pl->pid = status;
@@ -583,6 +587,10 @@ static void *exec_read_one (void *arg) /
   while (1)
   {
     int len;
+    char buffer[1200];  /* if not completely read */
+    char buffer_err[1024];
+    char *pbuffer = buffer;
+    char *pbuffer_err = buffer_err;
 
     status = select (highest_fd + 1, &copy, NULL, NULL, NULL);
     if (status < 0)
@@ -719,7 +727,7 @@ static void *exec_notification_one (void
 
   pid = fork_child (pl, &fd, NULL, NULL);
   if (pid < 0) {
-    sfree (arg);
+    free_pl (arg);
     pthread_exit ((void *) 1);
   }
 
@@ -732,7 +740,7 @@ static void *exec_notification_one (void
     kill (pl->pid, SIGTERM);
     pl->pid = 0;
     close (fd);
-    sfree (arg);
+    free_pl (arg);
     pthread_exit ((void *) 1);
   }
 
@@ -787,7 +795,7 @@ static void *exec_notification_one (void
   if (n->meta != NULL)
     plugin_notification_meta_free (n->meta);
   n->meta = NULL;
-  sfree (arg);
+  free_pl (arg);
   pthread_exit ((void *) 0);
   return (NULL);
 } /* void *exec_notification_one }}} */
@@ -895,11 +903,9 @@ static int exec_shutdown (void) /* {{{ *
       INFO ("exec plugin: Sent SIGTERM to %hu", (unsigned short int) pl->pid);
     }
 
-    sfree (pl->user);
-    sfree (pl);
-
     pl = next;
   } /* while (pl) */
+  free_pl(pl_head);
   pl_head = NULL;
 
   return (0);