diff --git a/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c b/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c
index 6ddc8f406c75..6b0eb3898e4e 100644
--- a/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c
+++ b/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c
@@ -274,11 +274,15 @@ static struct symbol *__add_symbol(const char *name, enum symbol_type type,
 				break;
 			}
 		}
+
+		free_list(sym->defn, NULL);
+		free(sym->name);
+		free(sym);
 		--nsyms;
 	}
 
 	sym = xmalloc(sizeof(*sym));
-	sym->name = name;
+	sym->name = xstrdup(name);
 	sym->type = type;
 	sym->defn = defn;
 	sym->expansion_trail = NULL;
@@ -485,7 +489,7 @@ static void read_reference(FILE *f)
 			defn = def;
 			def = read_node(f);
 		}
-		subsym = add_reference_symbol(xstrdup(sym->string), sym->tag,
+		subsym = add_reference_symbol(sym->string, sym->tag,
 					      defn, is_extern);
 		subsym->is_override = is_override;
 		free_node(sym);
diff --git a/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.h b/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.h
index 21ed2ec2d98c..5621533dcb8e 100644
--- a/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.h
+++ b/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ struct string_list {
 
 struct symbol {
 	struct symbol *hash_next;
-	const char *name;
+	char *name;
 	enum symbol_type type;
 	struct string_list *defn;
 	struct symbol *expansion_trail;
diff --git a/scripts/genksyms/parse.y b/scripts/genksyms/parse.y
index 840371d01bf4..689cb6bb40b6 100644
--- a/scripts/genksyms/parse.y
+++ b/scripts/genksyms/parse.y
@@ -482,12 +482,12 @@ enumerator_list:
 enumerator:
 	IDENT
 		{
-			const char *name = strdup((*$1)->string);
+			const char *name = (*$1)->string;
 			add_symbol(name, SYM_ENUM_CONST, NULL, 0);
 		}
 	| IDENT '=' EXPRESSION_PHRASE
 		{
-			const char *name = strdup((*$1)->string);
+			const char *name = (*$1)->string;
 			struct string_list *expr = copy_list_range(*$3, *$2);
 			add_symbol(name, SYM_ENUM_CONST, expr, 0);
 		}