diff --git a/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c b/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c
index 224949695..b9d77df29 100644
--- a/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c
+++ b/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c
@@ -185,6 +185,18 @@ gotchar:
             if (i) {
                 buf[i] = '\0';
                 cw->wl_word = copy(buf);
+                // assumption: cw != NULL and cw->wl_next == NULL
+                cw->wl_next = wl_cons(NULL, NULL);
+                cw->wl_next->wl_prev = cw;
+                cw = cw->wl_next;
+                // note: we can overwrite buf and i here
+                //   they  won't be accessed any more (see `goto done')
+                bzero(buf, NEW_BSIZE_SP);
+                i = 0;
+                // cw->wl_prev is the recent cw
+                //   thus this wl_next has been NULL per assumtion vrom above
+                cw->wl_prev->wl_next = NULL;
+                tfree(cw);
             } else  {
                 if (cw->wl_prev) {
                     cw->wl_prev->wl_next = NULL;