diff --git a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
index 228021b21..fef4bf1fe 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
@@ -2300,7 +2300,7 @@ checkInput(serverLayoutPtr layout, Bool implicit_layout) {
 ConfigStatus
 xf86HandleConfigFile(Bool autoconfig)
 {
-    const char *filename, *dirname, *sysdirname;
+    char *filename, *dirname, *sysdirname;
     const char *filesearch, *dirsearch;
     MessageType filefrom = X_DEFAULT;
     MessageType dirfrom = X_DEFAULT;
@@ -2352,6 +2352,10 @@ xf86HandleConfigFile(Bool autoconfig)
 	    return CONFIG_NOFILE;
     }
 
+    free(filename);
+    free(dirname);
+    free(sysdirname);
+
     if ((xf86configptr = xf86readConfigFile ()) == NULL) {
 	xf86Msg(X_ERROR, "Problem parsing the config file\n");
 	return CONFIG_PARSE_ERROR;
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/parser/scan.c b/hw/xfree86/parser/scan.c
index e25b1ad48..d22d6ab74 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/parser/scan.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/parser/scan.c
@@ -101,8 +101,6 @@ static int builtinIndex = 0;
 static int configPos = 0;		/* current readers position */
 static int configLineNo = 0;	/* linenumber */
 static char *configBuf, *configRBuf;	/* buffer for lines */
-static char *configPath;		/* path to config file */
-static char *configDirPath;		/* path to config dir */
 static char *configSection = NULL;	/* name of current section being parsed */
 static int numFiles = 0;		/* number of config files */
 static int curFileIndex = 0;		/* index of current config file */
@@ -894,7 +892,8 @@ xf86initConfigFiles(void)
  * of the located files.
  *
  * The return value is a pointer to the actual name of the file that was
- * opened.  When no file is found, the return value is NULL.
+ * opened.  When no file is found, the return value is NULL. The caller should
+ * free() the returned value.
  *
  * The escape sequences allowed in the search path are defined above.
  *
@@ -916,7 +915,7 @@ xf86initConfigFiles(void)
 							"%P/lib/X11/%X"
 #endif
 
-const char *
+char *
 xf86openConfigFile(const char *path, const char *cmdline, const char *projroot)
 {
 	if (!path || !path[0])
@@ -925,8 +924,7 @@ xf86openConfigFile(const char *path, const char *cmdline, const char *projroot)
 		projroot = PROJECTROOT;
 
 	/* Search for a config file */
-	configPath = OpenConfigFile(path, cmdline, projroot, XCONFIGFILE);
-	return configPath;
+	return OpenConfigFile(path, cmdline, projroot, XCONFIGFILE);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -939,12 +937,13 @@ xf86openConfigFile(const char *path, const char *cmdline, const char *projroot)
  * fails if it is not found.
  *
  * The return value is a pointer to the actual name of the direcoty that was
- * opened.  When no directory is found, the return value is NULL.
+ * opened.  When no directory is found, the return value is NULL. The caller
+ * should free() the returned value.
  *
  * The escape sequences allowed in the search path are defined above.
  *
  */
-const char *
+char *
 xf86openConfigDirFiles(const char *path, const char *cmdline,
 		       const char *projroot)
 {
@@ -954,8 +953,7 @@ xf86openConfigDirFiles(const char *path, const char *cmdline,
 		projroot = PROJECTROOT;
 
 	/* Search for the multiconf directory */
-	configDirPath = OpenConfigDir(path, cmdline, projroot, XCONFIGDIR);
-	return configDirPath;
+	return OpenConfigDir(path, cmdline, projroot, XCONFIGDIR);
 }
 
 void
@@ -963,10 +961,6 @@ xf86closeConfigFile (void)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	free (configPath);
-	configPath = NULL;
-	free (configDirPath);
-	configDirPath = NULL;
 	free (configRBuf);
 	configRBuf = NULL;
 	free (configBuf);
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/parser/xf86Parser.h b/hw/xfree86/parser/xf86Parser.h
index c12bd5645..7d4662b98 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/parser/xf86Parser.h
+++ b/hw/xfree86/parser/xf86Parser.h
@@ -487,10 +487,10 @@ xf86ConfigSymTabRec, *xf86ConfigSymTabPtr;
  * prototypes for public functions
  */
 extern void xf86initConfigFiles(void);
-extern const char *xf86openConfigFile(const char *path, const char *cmdline,
-				      const char *projroot);
-extern const char *xf86openConfigDirFiles(const char *path, const char *cmdline,
-					  const char *projroot);
+extern char *xf86openConfigFile(const char *path, const char *cmdline,
+				const char *projroot);
+extern char *xf86openConfigDirFiles(const char *path, const char *cmdline,
+				    const char *projroot);
 extern void xf86setBuiltinConfig(const char *config[]);
 extern XF86ConfigPtr xf86readConfigFile(void);
 extern void xf86closeConfigFile(void);
diff --git a/hw/xwin/winconfig.c b/hw/xwin/winconfig.c
index 76bf8e2de..4dbbe7ced 100644
--- a/hw/xwin/winconfig.c
+++ b/hw/xwin/winconfig.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ Bool
 winReadConfigfile ()
 {
   Bool		retval = TRUE;
-  const char	*filename, *dirname;
+  char		*filename, *dirname;
   MessageType	filefrom = X_DEFAULT;
   MessageType	dirfrom = X_DEFAULT;
   char		*xf86ConfigFile = NULL;
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ winReadConfigfile ()
     {
       return FALSE;
     }
+  free(filename);
+  free(dirname);
   if ((g_xf86configptr = xf86readConfigFile ()) == NULL)
     {
       winMsg (X_ERROR, "Problem parsing the config file\n");