diff --git a/crypto/asn1/asn1_locl.h b/crypto/asn1/asn1_locl.h
index 35cbd8d512..cec141721b 100644
--- a/crypto/asn1/asn1_locl.h
+++ b/crypto/asn1/asn1_locl.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ int asn1_enc_restore(int *len, unsigned char **out, ASN1_VALUE **pval,
 int asn1_enc_save(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const unsigned char *in, int inlen,
                   const ASN1_ITEM *it);
 
+void asn1_item_embed_free(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it, int embed);
 void asn1_primitive_free(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it, int embed);
 void asn1_template_free(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_TEMPLATE *tt);
 
diff --git a/crypto/asn1/tasn_fre.c b/crypto/asn1/tasn_fre.c
index ae91461774..bbce489fe0 100644
--- a/crypto/asn1/tasn_fre.c
+++ b/crypto/asn1/tasn_fre.c
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
 #include <openssl/objects.h>
 #include "asn1_locl.h"
 
-static void asn1_item_embed_free(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it,
-                                 int embed);
-
 /* Free up an ASN1 structure */
 
 void ASN1_item_free(ASN1_VALUE *val, const ASN1_ITEM *it)
@@ -28,8 +25,7 @@ void ASN1_item_ex_free(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it)
     asn1_item_embed_free(pval, it, 0);
 }
 
-static void asn1_item_embed_free(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it,
-                                 int embed)
+void asn1_item_embed_free(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it, int embed)
 {
     const ASN1_TEMPLATE *tt = NULL, *seqtt;
     const ASN1_EXTERN_FUNCS *ef;
diff --git a/crypto/asn1/tasn_new.c b/crypto/asn1/tasn_new.c
index 7608b43b7f..63a4b38ee9 100644
--- a/crypto/asn1/tasn_new.c
+++ b/crypto/asn1/tasn_new.c
@@ -142,8 +142,7 @@ int asn1_item_embed_new(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it, int embed)
     return 1;
 
  memerr2:
-    if (!embed)
-        ASN1_item_ex_free(pval, it);
+    asn1_item_embed_free(pval, it, embed);
  memerr:
     ASN1err(ASN1_F_ASN1_ITEM_EMBED_NEW, ERR_R_MALLOC_FAILURE);
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_CRYPTO_MDEBUG
@@ -152,8 +151,7 @@ int asn1_item_embed_new(ASN1_VALUE **pval, const ASN1_ITEM *it, int embed)
     return 0;
 
  auxerr2:
-    if (!embed)
-        ASN1_item_ex_free(pval, it);
+    asn1_item_embed_free(pval, it, embed);
  auxerr:
     ASN1err(ASN1_F_ASN1_ITEM_EMBED_NEW, ASN1_R_AUX_ERROR);
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_CRYPTO_MDEBUG