diff --git a/block/block-backend.c b/block/block-backend.c
index 85bcdedcef..0c28091ef1 100644
--- a/block/block-backend.c
+++ b/block/block-backend.c
@@ -2134,10 +2134,10 @@ static void send_qmp_error_event(BlockBackend *blk,
 {
     IoOperationType optype;
     BlockDriverState *bs = blk_bs(blk);
+    g_autofree char *path = blk_get_attached_dev_path(blk);
 
     optype = is_read ? IO_OPERATION_TYPE_READ : IO_OPERATION_TYPE_WRITE;
-    qapi_event_send_block_io_error(blk_name(blk),
-                                   blk_get_attached_dev_path(blk),
+    qapi_event_send_block_io_error(blk_name(blk), path,
                                    bs ? bdrv_get_node_name(bs) : NULL, optype,
                                    action, blk_iostatus_is_enabled(blk),
                                    error == ENOSPC, strerror(error));