diff --git a/plugins/in_forward/fw.c b/plugins/in_forward/fw.c
index 73a3b73fb06..77da340d81e 100644
--- a/plugins/in_forward/fw.c
+++ b/plugins/in_forward/fw.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static int setup_users(struct flb_in_fw_config *ctx,
 
         /* Get first value (user's name) */
         sentry = mk_list_entry_first(split, struct flb_split_entry, _head);
-        tmp = flb_sds_create_len(sentry->value, sentry->len + 1);
+        tmp = flb_sds_create_len(sentry->value, sentry->len);
         if (tmp == NULL) {
             delete_users(ctx);
             flb_free(user);
@@ -230,13 +230,14 @@ static int setup_users(struct flb_in_fw_config *ctx,
         tmp = flb_sds_create_len(sentry->value, sentry->len);
         if (tmp == NULL) {
             delete_users(ctx);
+            flb_sds_destroy(user->name);
             flb_free(user);
             flb_utils_split_free(split);
             return -1;
         }
         user->password = tmp;
 
-        /* Release split */
+        /* Release split - only after both allocations succeed */
         flb_utils_split_free(split);
 
         /* Link to parent list */