> calling free(NULL) is well-defined and safe Probably showing my age. SunOS 4, PalmOS, and 3BSD reputedly crashed. (There were also double free exploits back

> calling free(NULL) is well-defined and safe Probably showing my age. SunOS 4, PalmOS, and 3BSD reputedly crashed. (There were also double free exploits back in 1996.) This further illustrates my point, though: Removing the NULL check is a single conditional to remove, as opposed to littering the free + guard everywhere. In effect, by isolating duplicated pieces of logic, it keeps possibilities open.