diff --git a/src/frontend/com_fft.c b/src/frontend/com_fft.c
index bb8e7a69a..f63305a4a 100644
--- a/src/frontend/com_fft.c
+++ b/src/frontend/com_fft.c
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ com_fft(wordlist *wl)
             ngood++;
         }
     }
-
+    free_pnode_o(first_name); /* h_vogt 081206 */
     if (!ngood) {
        return;
     }
@@ -240,7 +240,6 @@ com_fft(wordlist *wl)
     
     tfree(tdvec);
     tfree(fdvec);    
-    free_pnode(first_name);    
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/com_fft.h b/src/frontend/com_fft.h
index ff72520a5..1a3a55656 100644
--- a/src/frontend/com_fft.h
+++ b/src/frontend/com_fft.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #ifndef FFT_H_INCLUDED
 #define FFT_H_INCLUDED
 
+extern void free_pnode_o(struct pnode *t);
+
 void com_fft(wordlist *wl);
 
 static void fftext(float*, float*, long int, int);
diff --git a/src/frontend/parse.c b/src/frontend/parse.c
index b8f31add7..a249f0e1c 100644
--- a/src/frontend/parse.c
+++ b/src/frontend/parse.c
@@ -952,3 +952,17 @@ 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);
+}
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/frontend/spec.c b/src/frontend/spec.c
index 5c889b85a..5ea194efd 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spec.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spec.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
             ngood++;
         }
     }
-/*    free_pnode(first_name);  h_vogt 081206 */
+    free_pnode_o(first_name); /* h_vogt 081206 */
     if (!ngood) {
        tfree(win);
        return;
@@ -272,7 +272,6 @@ com_spec(wordlist *wl)
     tfree(dc);
     tfree(tdvec);
     tfree(fdvec);
-    free_pnode(first_name);
 
 #ifdef KEEPWINDOW
     f = alloc(struct dvec);
diff --git a/src/frontend/spec.h b/src/frontend/spec.h
index c2843cfd7..6fbb89a20 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spec.h
+++ b/src/frontend/spec.h
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@ extern void SetAnalyse( char * Analyse, int Percent);
 #endif
 
 void com_spec(wordlist *wl);
+extern void free_pnode_o(struct pnode *t);
 
 #endif