diff --git a/c/cli/mlrcli.c b/c/cli/mlrcli.c
index 5e0da034f..f6606c1aa 100644
--- a/c/cli/mlrcli.c
+++ b/c/cli/mlrcli.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ static char* lhmss_get_or_die(lhmss_t* pmap, char* key, char* argv0);
 static int lhmsll_get_or_die(lhmsll_t* pmap, char* key, char* argv0);
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
-cli_opts_t* parse_command_line(int argc, char** argv) {
+cli_opts_t* parse_command_line(int argc, char** argv, sllv_t** ppmapper_list) {
 	cli_opts_t* popts = mlr_malloc_or_die(sizeof(cli_opts_t));
 
 	cli_opts_init(popts);
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ cli_opts_t* parse_command_line(int argc, char** argv) {
 	popts->mapper_argb = argi;
 	popts->argv = argv;
 	popts->argc = argc;
-	popts->pmapper_list = cli_parse_mappers(argv, &argi, argc, popts, &no_input);
+	*ppmapper_list = cli_parse_mappers(argv, &argi, argc, popts, &no_input);
 
 	for ( ; argi < argc; argi++) {
 		slls_append(popts->filenames, argv[argi], NO_FREE);
@@ -330,16 +330,12 @@ sllv_t* cli_parse_mappers(char** argv, int* pargi, int argc, cli_opts_t* popts,
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
-void cli_opts_free(cli_opts_t* popts, context_t* pctx) { // xxx rm ctx arg when mapper-free move
+void cli_opts_free(cli_opts_t* popts) { // xxx rm ctx arg when mapper-free move
 	if (popts == NULL)
 		return;
 
-	mapper_chain_free(popts->pmapper_list, pctx);
-
 	slls_free(popts->filenames);
-
 	free(popts);
-
 	free_opt_singletons();
 }
 
@@ -962,7 +958,6 @@ void cli_opts_init(cli_opts_t* popts) {
 	cli_reader_opts_init(&popts->reader_opts);
 	cli_writer_opts_init(&popts->writer_opts);
 
-	popts->pmapper_list    = sllv_alloc();
 	popts->mapper_argb     = 0;
 	popts->filenames       = slls_alloc();
 
diff --git a/c/cli/mlrcli.h b/c/cli/mlrcli.h
index fd2eabd40..d339cb72b 100644
--- a/c/cli/mlrcli.h
+++ b/c/cli/mlrcli.h
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ typedef struct _cli_opts_t {
 	cli_reader_opts_t reader_opts;
 	cli_writer_opts_t writer_opts;
 
-	sllv_t* pmapper_list; // xxx pull out of popts
-
 	// These are used to construct the mapper list. In particular,
 	// for in-place mode they're reconstructed for each file.
 	char**  argv;
@@ -78,7 +76,7 @@ typedef struct _cli_opts_t {
 } cli_opts_t;
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
-cli_opts_t* parse_command_line(int argc, char** argv);
+cli_opts_t* parse_command_line(int argc, char** argv, sllv_t** ppmapper_list);
 
 // xxx cmt
 sllv_t* cli_parse_mappers(char** argv, int* pargi, int argc, cli_opts_t* popts, int* pno_input);
@@ -106,7 +104,7 @@ void cli_merge_writer_opts(cli_writer_opts_t* pfunc_opts, cli_writer_opts_t* pma
 // output.  E.g. pretty-print output has column widths which are only computable
 // after all output records have been retained. The free methods are used as
 // drain triggers.
-void cli_opts_free(cli_opts_t* popts, context_t* pctx);
+void cli_opts_free(cli_opts_t* popts);
 
 // The caller can unconditionally free the return value
 char* cli_sep_from_arg(char* arg);
diff --git a/c/mlrmain.c b/c/mlrmain.c
index 65f584966..1b7af5431 100644
--- a/c/mlrmain.c
+++ b/c/mlrmain.c
@@ -22,15 +22,17 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	// the handler instead.
 	do_aux_entries(argc, argv);
 
-	cli_opts_t* popts = parse_command_line(argc, argv);
+	sllv_t* pmapper_list = NULL;
+	cli_opts_t* popts = parse_command_line(argc, argv, &pmapper_list);
 	mlr_global_init(argv[0], popts->ofmt);
 
 	context_t ctx;
 	context_init_from_opts(&ctx, popts);
 
-	int ok = do_stream_chained(&ctx, popts);
+	int ok = do_stream_chained(&ctx, pmapper_list, popts);
 
-	cli_opts_free(popts, &ctx);
+	mapper_chain_free(pmapper_list, &ctx);
+	cli_opts_free(popts);
 
 	return ok ? 0 : 1;
 }
diff --git a/c/stream/stream.c b/c/stream/stream.c
index bb5e1e03d..ac2c43deb 100644
--- a/c/stream/stream.c
+++ b/c/stream/stream.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 static int do_stream_chained_in_place(context_t* pctx, cli_opts_t* popts);
 
-static int do_stream_chained_to_stdout(context_t* pctx, cli_opts_t* popts);
+static int do_stream_chained_to_stdout(context_t* pctx, sllv_t* pmapper_list, cli_opts_t* popts);
 
 static int do_file_chained(char* filename, context_t* pctx,
 	lrec_reader_t* plrec_reader, sllv_t* pmapper_list, lrec_writer_t* plrec_writer, FILE* output_stream,
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ static void null_progress_indicator(context_t* pctx, long long nr_progress_mod);
 static void stderr_progress_indicator(context_t* pctx, long long nr_progress_mod);
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
-int do_stream_chained(context_t* pctx, cli_opts_t* popts) {
+int do_stream_chained(context_t* pctx, sllv_t* pmapper_list, cli_opts_t* popts) {
 	if (popts->do_in_place) {
 		return do_stream_chained_in_place(pctx, popts);
 	} else {
-		return do_stream_chained_to_stdout(pctx, popts);
+		return do_stream_chained_to_stdout(pctx, pmapper_list, popts);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -107,12 +107,11 @@ static int do_stream_chained_in_place(context_t* pctx, cli_opts_t* popts) {
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
-static int do_stream_chained_to_stdout(context_t* pctx, cli_opts_t* popts) {
+static int do_stream_chained_to_stdout(context_t* pctx, sllv_t* pmapper_list, cli_opts_t* popts) {
 	FILE* output_stream = stdout;
 
 	lrec_reader_t* plrec_reader = lrec_reader_alloc_or_die(&popts->reader_opts);
 	lrec_writer_t* plrec_writer = lrec_writer_alloc_or_die(&popts->writer_opts);
-	sllv_t* pmapper_list = popts->pmapper_list;
 
 	MLR_INTERNAL_CODING_ERROR_IF(pmapper_list->length < 1); // Should not have been allowed by the CLI parser.
 
diff --git a/c/stream/stream.h b/c/stream/stream.h
index acf097d26..6733d0fee 100644
--- a/c/stream/stream.h
+++ b/c/stream/stream.h
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@
 #include "mapping/mappers.h"
 #include "output/lrec_writers.h"
 
-int do_stream_chained(context_t* pctx, cli_opts_t* popts);
+int do_stream_chained(context_t* pctx, sllv_t* pmapper_list, cli_opts_t* popts);
 
 #endif // STREAM_H