diff --git a/src/itdb_itunesdb.c b/src/itdb_itunesdb.c
index 5f1b3b6..bebaf55 100644
--- a/src/itdb_itunesdb.c
+++ b/src/itdb_itunesdb.c
@@ -1435,7 +1435,8 @@ static MHODData get_mhod (FImport *fimp, glong mhod_seek, guint32 *ml)
 	  result.data.string = g_new0 (gchar, xl+1);
 	  if (!seek_get_n_bytes (cts, result.data.string, seek+16, xl))
 	  {   /* error */
-	      g_free (entry_utf16);
+	      g_free (result.data.string);
+	      result.data.string = NULL;
 	      return result;  /* *ml==-1, result.valid==FALSE */
 	  }
       }
@@ -1691,10 +1692,12 @@ static gchar *get_mhod_string (FImport *fimp, glong seek, guint32 *ml, gint32 *m
     case MHOD_ID_ALBUM_SORT_ARTIST:
     case MHOD_ID_ALBUM_ARTIST_MHII:
 	mhoddata = get_mhod (fimp, seek, ml);
-	if ((*ml != -1) && mhoddata.valid)
+	if ((*ml != -1) && mhoddata.valid) {
+	    g_assert (g_utf8_validate (mhoddata.data.string, -1, NULL));
 	    return mhoddata.data.string;
-	else
+	} else {
 	    return NULL;
+	}
     case MHOD_ID_SPLPREF:
     case MHOD_ID_SPLRULES:
     case MHOD_ID_LIBPLAYLISTINDEX: