diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index 07dea3bc81..8d852d4585 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -573,6 +573,7 @@ static int merge_working_tree(const struct checkout_opts *opts,
 				exit(128);
 			ret = reset_tree(new->commit->tree, opts, 0,
 					 writeout_error);
+			strbuf_release(&o.obuf);
 			if (ret)
 				return ret;
 		}
diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index ec50932210..9e527dec62 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -2078,6 +2078,8 @@ int merge_recursive(struct merge_options *o,
 		commit_list_insert(h2, &(*result)->parents->next);
 	}
 	flush_output(o);
+	if (!o->call_depth && o->buffer_output < 2)
+		strbuf_release(&o->obuf);
 	if (show(o, 2))
 		diff_warn_rename_limit("merge.renamelimit",
 				       o->needed_rename_limit, 0);
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 286a435852..ec50519df9 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ static int do_recursive_merge(struct commit *base, struct commit *next,
 	clean = merge_trees(&o,
 			    head_tree,
 			    next_tree, base_tree, &result);
+	strbuf_release(&o.obuf);
 	if (clean < 0)
 		return clean;