diff --git a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissl.cc b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissl.cc
index 85c2548b6..ca21e70ed 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissl.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissl.cc
@@ -1151,6 +1151,7 @@ int pqissl::Authorise_SSL_Connection()
 	// reset switch.
 	waiting = WAITING_NOT;
 
+#ifdef RS_PQISSL_AUTH_REDUNDANT_CHECK
 	X509* peercert = SSL_get_peer_certificate(ssl_connection);
 	if (!peercert)
 	{
@@ -1172,11 +1173,11 @@ int pqissl::Authorise_SSL_Connection()
 		 * If the cert is from a friend anyway we should find a way to make good
 		 * use of this connection instead of throwing it away... */
 
+		X509_free(peercert);
 		reset_locked();
 		return failure;
 	}
 
-#ifdef RS_PQISSL_AUTH_REDUNDANT_CHECK
 	/* At this point the actual connection authentication has already been
 	 * performed in AuthSSL::VerifyX509Callback, any furter authentication check
 	 * like the following two are redundant. */
@@ -1188,20 +1189,24 @@ int pqissl::Authorise_SSL_Connection()
 		          << "certificate signature. This should never happen at this "
 		          << "point!" << std::endl;
 		print_stacktrace();
+
+		X509_free(peercert); // not needed but just in case we change to return
 		exit(failure);
 	}
 
 	RsPgpId pgpId = RsX509Cert::getCertIssuer(*peercert);
 	if( !AuthGPG::getAuthGPG()->isGPGAccepted(pgpId) )
 	{
-		RsErr() << __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ << " pgpId: " << pgpId
-		        << " is not friend. It is very unlikely to happen at this "
-		        << "point! Either the user must have been so fast to deny "
-		        << "friendship just after VerifyX509Callback have returned "
-		        << "success and just before this code being executed, or "
-		        << "something really fishy is happening! Share the full log "
-		        << "with developers." << std::endl;
+		RsFatal() << __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ << " pgpId: " << pgpId
+		          << " is not friend. It is very unlikely to happen at this "
+		          << "point! Either the user must have been so fast to deny "
+		          << "friendship just after VerifyX509Callback have returned "
+		          << "success and just before this code being executed, or "
+		          << "something really fishy is happening! Share the full log "
+		          << "with developers." << std::endl;
 		print_stacktrace();
+
+		X509_free(peercert); // not needed but just in case we change to return
 		exit(failure);
 	}
 #endif // def RS_PQISSL_AUTH_REDUNDANT_CHECK
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissllistener.cc b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissllistener.cc
index c54837f7d..ed36417a2 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissllistener.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/pqi/pqissllistener.cc
@@ -793,19 +793,23 @@ int pqissllistener::completeConnection(int fd, IncomingSSLInfo& info)
 		          << "certificate signature. This should never happen at this "
 		          << "point!" << std::endl;
 		print_stacktrace();
+
+		X509_free(peercert); // not needed but just in case we change to return
 		exit(failure);
 	}
 
 	if( !AuthGPG::getAuthGPG()->isGPGAccepted(pgpId) )
 	{
-		RsErr() << __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ << " pgpId: " << pgpId
-		        << " is not friend. It is very unlikely to happen at this "
-		        << "point! Either the user must have been so fast to deny "
-		        << "friendship just after VerifyX509Callback have returned "
-		        << "success and just before this code being executed, or "
-		        << "something really fishy is happening! Share the full log "
-		        << "with developers." << std::endl;
+		RsFatal() << __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ << " pgpId: " << pgpId
+		          << " is not friend. It is very unlikely to happen at this "
+		          << "point! Either the user must have been so fast to deny "
+		          << "friendship just after VerifyX509Callback have returned "
+		          << "success and just before this code being executed, or "
+		          << "something really fishy is happening! Share the full log "
+		          << "with developers." << std::endl;
 		print_stacktrace();
+
+		X509_free(peercert); // not needed but just in case we change to return
 		exit(failure);
 	}
 #endif //def RS_PQISSL_AUTH_REDUNDANT_CHECK