diff --git a/c/containers/local_stack.c b/c/containers/local_stack.c
index 8b6b6b591..de2445135 100644
--- a/c/containers/local_stack.c
+++ b/c/containers/local_stack.c
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ local_stack_frame_t* local_stack_frame_enter(local_stack_frame_t* pframe) {
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 void local_stack_frame_exit (local_stack_frame_t* pframe) {
 	MLR_INTERNAL_CODING_ERROR_UNLESS(mlhmmv_xvalue_is_absent_and_nonterminal(&pframe->pvars[0].xvalue));
-	for (int i = 0; i < pframe->size; i++)
-		mlhmmv_xvalue_free(&pframe->pvars[i].xvalue);
 	if (!pframe->ephemeral) {
 		pframe->in_use = FALSE;
 		LOCAL_STACK_TRACE(printf("LOCAL STACK FRAME NON-EPH EXIT %p %d\n", pframe, pframe->size));
diff --git a/c/containers/local_stack.h b/c/containers/local_stack.h
index 194cf63fa..670d8caad 100644
--- a/c/containers/local_stack.h
+++ b/c/containers/local_stack.h
@@ -189,6 +189,11 @@ static inline void local_stack_subframe_exit(local_stack_frame_t* pframe, int co
 	LOCAL_STACK_TRACE(printf("LOCAL STACK SUBFRAME %p EXIT  %d->%d\n",
 		pframe, pframe->subframe_base, pframe->subframe_base-count));
 	pframe->subframe_base -= count;
+	local_stack_frame_entry_t* psubframe = &pframe->pvars[pframe->subframe_base];
+	for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		local_stack_frame_entry_t* pentry = &psubframe[i];
+		mlhmmv_xvalue_free(&pentry->xvalue);
+	}
 }
 
 // ================================================================