diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index 542d8d02b2b..ebec61868be 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ static int get_urlmatch(const char *var, const char *url)
 
 		strbuf_release(&matched->value);
 	}
-	string_list_clear(&config.vars, 1);
+	urlmatch_config_release(&config);
 	string_list_clear(&values, 1);
 	free(config.url.url);
 
diff --git a/credential.c b/credential.c
index e7240f3f636..f6389a50684 100644
--- a/credential.c
+++ b/credential.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ static void credential_apply_config(struct credential *c)
 	git_config(urlmatch_config_entry, &config);
 	string_list_clear(&config.vars, 1);
 	free(normalized_url);
+	urlmatch_config_release(&config);
 	strbuf_release(&url);
 
 	c->configured = 1;
diff --git a/urlmatch.c b/urlmatch.c
index 03ad3f30a9c..b615adc923a 100644
--- a/urlmatch.c
+++ b/urlmatch.c
@@ -611,3 +611,8 @@ int urlmatch_config_entry(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	strbuf_release(&synthkey);
 	return retval;
 }
+
+void urlmatch_config_release(struct urlmatch_config *config)
+{
+	string_list_clear(&config->vars, 1);
+}
diff --git a/urlmatch.h b/urlmatch.h
index 34a3ba6d197..9f40b00bfb8 100644
--- a/urlmatch.h
+++ b/urlmatch.h
@@ -71,5 +71,6 @@ struct urlmatch_config {
 }
 
 int urlmatch_config_entry(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb);
+void urlmatch_config_release(struct urlmatch_config *config);
 
 #endif /* URL_MATCH_H */