diff --git a/src/frontend/com_fft.c b/src/frontend/com_fft.c
index b9decd7ef..291e12842 100644
--- a/src/frontend/com_fft.c
+++ b/src/frontend/com_fft.c
@@ -27,30 +27,30 @@ static void fftext(double*, double*, long int, long int, int);
 void
 com_fft(wordlist *wl)
 {
-    ngcomplex_t **fdvec;
-    double  **tdvec;
-    double  *freq, *win, *time;
+    ngcomplex_t **fdvec = NULL;
+    double  **tdvec = NULL;
+    double  *freq, *win = NULL, *time;
     double  delta_t, span;
     int     fpts, i, j, tlen, ngood;
     struct dvec  *f, *vlist, *lv = NULL, *vec;
-    struct pnode *pn, *names;
+    struct pnode *pn, *names = NULL;
 
 #ifdef GREEN
     int mm;
 #endif
 
-    double *reald, *imagd;
+    double *reald = NULL, *imagd = NULL;
     int size, sign, order;
     double scale, sigma;
 
     if (!plot_cur || !plot_cur->pl_scale) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: no vectors loaded.\n");
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
     if (!isreal(plot_cur->pl_scale) ||
         ((plot_cur->pl_scale)->v_type != SV_TIME)) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: fft needs real time scale\n");
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
 
     tlen = (plot_cur->pl_scale)->v_length;
@@ -150,8 +150,7 @@ com_fft(wordlist *wl)
             }
         } else {
             fprintf(cp_err, "Warning: unknown window type %s\n", window);
-            tfree(win);
-            return;
+            goto done;
         }
     }
 
@@ -186,11 +185,9 @@ com_fft(wordlist *wl)
             ngood++;
         }
     }
-    free_pnode_o(names);
-    if (!ngood) {
-        tfree(win);
-        return;
-    }
+
+    if (!ngood)
+        goto done;
 
     plot_cur = plot_alloc("spectrum");
     plot_cur->pl_next = plot_list;
@@ -267,12 +264,15 @@ com_fft(wordlist *wl)
 #endif
     }
 
+done:
     tfree(reald);
     tfree(imagd);
 
     tfree(tdvec);
     tfree(fdvec);
     tfree(win);
+
+    free_pnode(names);
 }
 
 
@@ -281,13 +281,13 @@ com_psd(wordlist *wl)
 {
     ngcomplex_t **fdvec = NULL;
     double  **tdvec = NULL;
-    double  *freq, *win, *time, *ave;
+    double  *freq, *win = NULL, *time, *ave;
     double  delta_t, span, noipower;
     int     mm;
     unsigned long size, ngood, fpts, i, j, tlen, jj, smooth, hsmooth;
     char    *s;
     struct dvec  *f, *vlist, *lv = NULL, *vec;
-    struct pnode *pn, *names;
+    struct pnode *pn, *names = NULL;
 
     double *reald = NULL, *imagd = NULL;
     int sign, isreal;
@@ -297,12 +297,12 @@ com_psd(wordlist *wl)
 
     if (!plot_cur || !plot_cur->pl_scale) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: no vectors loaded.\n");
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
     if (!isreal(plot_cur->pl_scale) ||
         ((plot_cur->pl_scale)->v_type != SV_TIME)) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: fft needs real time scale\n");
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
 
     tlen = (plot_cur->pl_scale)->v_length;
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ com_psd(wordlist *wl)
             ngood++;
         }
     }
-    free_pnode_o(names);
+
     if (!ngood)
         goto done;
 
@@ -577,6 +577,8 @@ done:
     tfree(tdvec);
     tfree(fdvec);
     tfree(win);
+
+    free_pnode(names);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/parse.c b/src/frontend/parse.c
index f870b6471..612a2172b 100644
--- a/src/frontend/parse.c
+++ b/src/frontend/parse.c
@@ -445,19 +445,6 @@ free_pnode_x(struct pnode *t)
 }
 
 
-/* here is the original free_node, which is needed in spec.c and com_fft.c */
-void
-free_pnode_o(struct pnode *t)
-{
-    if (!t)
-        return;
-    free_pnode(t->pn_left);
-    free_pnode(t->pn_right);
-    free_pnode(t->pn_next);
-    tfree(t);
-}
-
-
 static void
 db_print_func(FILE *fdst, struct func *f)
 {
diff --git a/src/frontend/parse.h b/src/frontend/parse.h
index d1a8e879a..707d6231b 100644
--- a/src/frontend/parse.h
+++ b/src/frontend/parse.h
@@ -13,6 +13,5 @@
 #define free_pnode(ptr)  free_pnode_x(ptr); ptr=NULL;
 #endif
 
-void free_pnode_o(struct pnode *t);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/frontend/spec.c b/src/frontend/spec.c
index c50d7fcd8..ecc6a9be7 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spec.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spec.c
@@ -22,32 +22,32 @@ Author:   1994 Anthony E. Parker, Department of Electronics, Macquarie Uni.
 void
 com_spec(wordlist *wl)
 {
-    ngcomplex_t **fdvec;
-    double  **tdvec;
-    double  *freq, *win, *time, *dc;
+    ngcomplex_t **fdvec = NULL;
+    double  **tdvec = NULL;
+    double  *freq, *win = NULL, *time, *dc = NULL;
     double  startf, stopf, stepf, span;
     int     fpts, i, j, k, tlen, ngood;
     bool    trace;
     char    *s;
     struct dvec  *f, *vlist, *lv = NULL, *vec;
-    struct pnode *pn, *names;
+    struct pnode *pn, *names = NULL;
 
     if (!plot_cur || !plot_cur->pl_scale) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: no vectors loaded.\n");
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
 
     if (!isreal(plot_cur->pl_scale) ||
         ((plot_cur->pl_scale)->v_type != SV_TIME)) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: spec needs real time scale\n");
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
 
     s = wl->wl_word;
     tlen = (plot_cur->pl_scale)->v_length;
     if ((freq = ft_numparse(&s, FALSE)) == NULL || (*freq < 0.0)) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: bad start freq %s\n", wl->wl_word);
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
     startf = *freq;
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
     s = wl->wl_word;
     if ((freq = ft_numparse(&s, FALSE)) == NULL || (*freq <= startf)) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: bad stop freq %s\n", wl->wl_word);
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
     stopf = *freq;
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
     s = wl->wl_word;
     if ((freq = ft_numparse(&s, FALSE)) == NULL || !(*freq <= (stopf-startf))) {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: bad step freq %s\n", wl->wl_word);
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
     stepf = *freq;
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
         fprintf(cp_err,
                 "Error: nyquist limit exceeded, try stop freq less than %e Hz\n",
                 tlen/2/span);
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
     span = ((int)(span*stepf*1.000000000001))/stepf;
     if (span > 0) {
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
     } else {
         fprintf(cp_err, "Error: time span limits step freq to %1.1e Hz\n",
                 1/(time[tlen-1] - time[0]));
-        return;
+        goto done;
     }
     win = TMALLOC(double, tlen);
     {
@@ -161,8 +161,7 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
             }
         } else {
             fprintf(cp_err, "Warning: unknown window type %s\n", window);
-            tfree(win);
-            return;
+            goto done;
         }
     }
 
@@ -197,11 +196,9 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
             ngood++;
         }
     }
-    free_pnode_o(names); /* h_vogt 081206 */
-    if (!ngood) {
-        tfree(win);
-        return;
-    }
+
+    if (!ngood)
+        goto done;
 
     plot_cur = plot_alloc("spectrum");
     plot_cur->pl_next = plot_list;
@@ -271,6 +268,7 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
         SetAnalyse("spec", (int)(j * 1000./ fpts));
 #endif
     }
+
     if (startf == 0) {
         freq[0] = 0;
         for (i = 0; i < ngood; i++) {
@@ -278,23 +276,28 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
             fdvec[i][0].cx_imag = 0;
         }
     }
+
     if (trace)
         fprintf(cp_err, "                           \r");
+
+#ifdef KEEPWINDOW
+        f = alloc(struct dvec);
+        ZERO(f, struct dvec);
+        f->v_name = copy("win");
+        f->v_type = SV_NOTYPE;
+        f->v_flags = (VF_REAL | VF_PERMANENT);
+        f->v_length = tlen;
+        f->v_realdata = win;
+        win = NULL;
+        vec_new(f);
+#endif
+
+done:
     tfree(dc);
+
     tfree(tdvec);
     tfree(fdvec);
-
-#ifdef KEEPWINDOW
-    f = alloc(struct dvec);
-    ZERO(f, struct dvec);
-    f->v_name = copy("win");
-    f->v_type = SV_NOTYPE;
-    f->v_flags = (VF_REAL | VF_PERMANENT);
-    f->v_length = tlen;
-    f->v_realdata = win;
-    vec_new(f);
-#else
     tfree(win);
-#endif
 
+    free_pnode(names);
 }