diff --git a/merge-ort.c b/merge-ort.c
index e5f41cce48..36a140f8ed 100644
--- a/merge-ort.c
+++ b/merge-ort.c
@@ -4683,14 +4683,14 @@ void merge_switch_to_result(struct merge_options *opt,
 void merge_finalize(struct merge_options *opt,
 		    struct merge_result *result)
 {
-	struct merge_options_internal *opti = result->priv;
-
 	if (opt->renormalize)
 		git_attr_set_direction(GIT_ATTR_CHECKIN);
 	assert(opt->priv == NULL);
 
-	clear_or_reinit_internal_opts(opti, 0);
-	FREE_AND_NULL(opti);
+	if (result->priv) {
+		clear_or_reinit_internal_opts(result->priv, 0);
+		FREE_AND_NULL(result->priv);
+	}
 }
 
 /*** Function Grouping: helper functions for merge_incore_*() ***/