diff --git a/lib/krb5/cache.c b/lib/krb5/cache.c
index 091dd97b4..c9f60900c 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/cache.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/cache.c
@@ -46,14 +46,11 @@ krb5_cc_register(krb5_context context,
 		 const krb5_cc_ops *ops, 
 		 krb5_boolean override)
 {
-    char *prefix_copy;
     int i;
 
     for(i = 0; i < context->num_cc_ops && context->cc_ops[i].prefix; i++) {
 	if(strcmp(context->cc_ops[i].prefix, ops->prefix) == 0) {
-	    if(override)
-		free(context->cc_ops[i].prefix);
-	    else {
+	    if(!override) {
 		krb5_set_error_string(context,
 				      "ccache type %s already exists",
 				      ops->prefix);
@@ -61,18 +58,12 @@ krb5_cc_register(krb5_context context,
 	    }
 	}
     }
-    prefix_copy = strdup(ops->prefix);
-    if (prefix_copy == NULL) {
-	krb5_set_error_string(context, "malloc: out of memory");
-	return KRB5_CC_NOMEM;
-    }
     if(i == context->num_cc_ops) {
 	krb5_cc_ops *o = realloc(context->cc_ops,
 				 (context->num_cc_ops + 1) *
 				 sizeof(*context->cc_ops));
 	if(o == NULL) {
 	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "malloc: out of memory");
-	    free(prefix_copy);
 	    return KRB5_CC_NOMEM;
 	}
 	context->num_cc_ops++;
@@ -81,7 +72,6 @@ krb5_cc_register(krb5_context context,
 	       (context->num_cc_ops - i) * sizeof(*context->cc_ops));
     }
     memcpy(&context->cc_ops[i], ops, sizeof(context->cc_ops[i]));
-    context->cc_ops[i].prefix = prefix_copy;
     return 0;
 }