diff --git a/src/basic/strv.c b/src/basic/strv.c
index d81c9f127c9..184804cea06 100644
--- a/src/basic/strv.c
+++ b/src/basic/strv.c
@@ -1239,14 +1239,14 @@ int strv_rebreak_lines(char **l, size_t width, char ***ret) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-char** strv_filter_prefix(char *const*l, const char *prefix) {
-        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **f = NULL;
+char** strv_filter_prefix(char * const *l, const char *prefix) {
 
         /* Allocates a copy of 'l', but only copies over entries starting with 'prefix' */
 
         if (isempty(prefix))
                 return strv_copy(l);
 
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **f = NULL;
         size_t sz = 0;
 
         STRV_FOREACH(i, l) {
diff --git a/src/basic/strv.h b/src/basic/strv.h
index 64787237157..71aae2b20a8 100644
--- a/src/basic/strv.h
+++ b/src/basic/strv.h
@@ -269,4 +269,4 @@ int _string_strv_ordered_hashmap_put(OrderedHashmap **h, const char *key, const
 
 int strv_rebreak_lines(char **l, size_t width, char ***ret);
 
-char** strv_filter_prefix(char *const*l, const char *prefix);
+char** strv_filter_prefix(char * const *l, const char *prefix);