diff --git a/client/include/interface/overlay.h b/client/include/interface/overlay.h
index 5a0f9664..2bd8465e 100644
--- a/client/include/interface/overlay.h
+++ b/client/include/interface/overlay.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct LG_OverlayOps
   /* called when the overlay is registered */
   bool (*init)(void ** udata, const void * params);
 
-  /* final free */
+  /* final free; must be safe if init was not called or returned false */
   void (*free)(void * udata);
 
   /* return true if realtime rendering is required
diff --git a/client/src/app.c b/client/src/app.c
index f18bc947..f8509fdf 100644
--- a/client/src/app.c
+++ b/client/src/app.c
@@ -858,8 +858,6 @@ void app_registerOverlay(const struct LG_OverlayOps * ops, const void * params)
     ops->earlyInit();
 }
 
-static bool l_overlaysInitialized = false;
-
 void app_initOverlays(void)
 {
   struct Overlay * overlay;
@@ -870,12 +868,12 @@ void app_initOverlays(void)
     if (!overlay->ops->init(&overlay->udata, overlay->params))
     {
       DEBUG_ERROR("Overlay `%s` failed to initialize", overlay->ops->name);
+      overlay->ops->free(overlay->udata);
       ll_removeNL(g_state.overlays, item);
       free(item);
       free(overlay);
     }
   }
-  l_overlaysInitialized = true;
   ll_unlock(g_state.overlays);
 
   /* Do not seed ImGui's clock with absolute host uptime. ImGui stores the
@@ -1071,11 +1069,9 @@ void app_freeOverlays(void)
   struct Overlay * overlay;
   while(ll_shift(g_state.overlays, (void **)&overlay))
   {
-    if (l_overlaysInitialized)
-      overlay->ops->free(overlay->udata);
+    overlay->ops->free(overlay->udata);
     free(overlay);
   }
-  l_overlaysInitialized = false;
 }
 
 void app_setOverlay(bool enable)
diff --git a/client/src/overlay/config.c b/client/src/overlay/config.c
index 9b5a4d1a..3389907d 100644
--- a/client/src/overlay/config.c
+++ b/client/src/overlay/config.c
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ static bool config_init(void ** udata, const void * params)
 
 static void config_freeList(struct ll * list)
 {
+  if (!list)
+    return;
+
   ConfigCallback * cb;
   while(ll_shift(list, (void **)&cb))
   {
@@ -73,6 +76,8 @@ static void config_free(void * udata)
 {
   config_freeList(cfg.callbacks);
   config_freeList(cfg.tabCallbacks);
+  cfg.callbacks    = NULL;
+  cfg.tabCallbacks = NULL;
 }
 
 static void config_renderLGTab(void)
diff --git a/client/src/overlay/graphs.c b/client/src/overlay/graphs.c
index e35b4a35..8b5992b9 100644
--- a/client/src/overlay/graphs.c
+++ b/client/src/overlay/graphs.c
@@ -168,16 +168,26 @@ static bool graphs_init(void ** udata, const void * params)
 
 static void graphs_free(void * udata)
 {
-  struct OverlayGraph * graph;
-  while(ll_shift(gs.graphs, (void **)&graph))
-    graphFree(graph);
-  ll_free(gs.graphs);
-  gs.graphs = NULL;
+  if (gs.graphs)
+  {
+    struct OverlayGraph * graph;
+    while(ll_shift(gs.graphs, (void **)&graph))
+      graphFree(graph);
+    ll_free(gs.graphs);
+    gs.graphs = NULL;
+  }
 
-  ImPlotSpec_destroy(gs.plotSpec);
-  gs.plotSpec = NULL;
-  ImPlot_DestroyContext(gs.plotContext);
-  gs.plotContext = NULL;
+  if (gs.plotSpec)
+  {
+    ImPlotSpec_destroy(gs.plotSpec);
+    gs.plotSpec = NULL;
+  }
+
+  if (gs.plotContext)
+  {
+    ImPlot_DestroyContext(gs.plotContext);
+    gs.plotContext = NULL;
+  }
 }
 
 struct BufferMetrics
diff --git a/client/src/overlay/msg.c b/client/src/overlay/msg.c
index 539b96f1..892e24dd 100644
--- a/client/src/overlay/msg.c
+++ b/client/src/overlay/msg.c
@@ -75,10 +75,15 @@ static void freeMsg(struct Msg * msg)
 
 static void msg_free(void * udata)
 {
-  struct Msg * msg;
-  while(ll_shift(l_msg.messages, (void **)&msg))
-    freeMsg(msg);
-  ll_free(l_msg.messages);
+  if (l_msg.messages)
+  {
+    struct Msg * msg;
+    while(ll_shift(l_msg.messages, (void **)&msg))
+      freeMsg(msg);
+    ll_free(l_msg.messages);
+    l_msg.messages = NULL;
+  }
+
   l_msg.initialized = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/client/src/overlay/splash.c b/client/src/overlay/splash.c
index 965d5bb0..ad71fef1 100644
--- a/client/src/overlay/splash.c
+++ b/client/src/overlay/splash.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ static bool splash_init(void ** udata, const void * params)
 static void splash_free(void * udata)
 {
   overlayFreeImage(&l_logo);
-  stringlist_free(&l_tagline );
+  stringlist_free(&l_tagline);
   stringlist_free(&l_footline);
 }
 
diff --git a/common/src/stringlist.c b/common/src/stringlist.c
index f9483bb8..9b0343ac 100644
--- a/common/src/stringlist.c
+++ b/common/src/stringlist.c
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ StringList stringlist_new(bool owns_strings)
 
 void stringlist_free(StringList * sl)
 {
+  if (!sl || !*sl)
+    return;
+
   stringlist_clear(*sl);
 
   vector_destroy(&(*sl)->vector);