diff --git a/src/dmr_bs.c b/src/dmr_bs.c
index 174ba0c..8d2775b 100644
--- a/src/dmr_bs.c
+++ b/src/dmr_bs.c
@@ -549,6 +549,15 @@ void dmrBS (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
     ncursesPrinter(opts, state);
   }
 
+  //both here and at bottom SHOULD be okay with the NULL check, if not, disable this one
+  if (timestr != NULL)
+  {
+    //debug
+    // fprintf (stderr, " FREE: 1; ");
+    free (timestr);
+  }
+  // else fprintf (stderr, " NO FREE: 1; ");
+
  } // while loop
 
  END:
@@ -595,7 +604,14 @@ void dmrBS (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
    
  }
 
- free (timestr);
+ //second free
+ if (timestr != NULL)
+ {
+  //debug
+  // fprintf (stderr, " FREE: 2; ");
+  free (timestr);
+ }
+//  else fprintf (stderr, " NO FREE: 2; ");
 
 }
 
@@ -907,6 +923,6 @@ void dmrBSBootstrap (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
     dmr_reset_blocks (opts, state); 
   }
 
-  free (timestr);
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
 }
diff --git a/src/dmr_ms.c b/src/dmr_ms.c
index f527563..dacba16 100644
--- a/src/dmr_ms.c
+++ b/src/dmr_ms.c
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ void dmrMS (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
  state->dmr_ms_rc = 0;
  state->directmode = 0; //flag off
 
- free(timestr);
+ if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
 }
 
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ void dmrMSBootstrap (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
 
   //errors due to skipping other slot
   // cach_err = dmr_cach (opts, state, cachdata);
-  free (timestr);
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
   skipDibit (opts, state, 144); //skip to next TDMA slot
   dmrMS (opts, state); //bootstrap into full TDMA frame
@@ -689,6 +689,6 @@ void dmrMSData (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
     state->dmr_stereo_payload[i+66] = 1; ////set to one so first frame will fail intentionally instead of zero fill
   }
 
-  free (timestr);
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
 }
diff --git a/src/dmr_pdu.c b/src/dmr_pdu.c
index a836657..38bc16e 100644
--- a/src/dmr_pdu.c
+++ b/src/dmr_pdu.c
@@ -260,8 +260,8 @@ void dmr_lrrp (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state, uint8_t block_len, uint8_t DM
         if (!source) fprintf (pFile, "%08lld\t", state->dmr_lrrp_source[state->currentslot]); //source address from data header
         if (source) fprintf (pFile, "%08d\t", source); //add source form decoded audio if available, else its from the header
         
-        free (timestr);
-        free (datestr);
+        if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
+        if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
       }
 
       if (pot_report)
diff --git a/src/dsd_file.c b/src/dsd_file.c
index 21bda4c..32c09fa 100644
--- a/src/dsd_file.c
+++ b/src/dsd_file.c
@@ -409,8 +409,8 @@ void openMbeOutFile (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
   fprintf (opts->mbe_out_f, "%s", ext);
 
   fflush (opts->mbe_out_f);
-  free (timestr); //free allocated memory to prevent memory leak
-  free (datestr);
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
+  if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
 }
 
 void openMbeOutFileR (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
@@ -463,8 +463,8 @@ void openMbeOutFileR (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
   fprintf (opts->mbe_out_fR, "%s", ext);
 
   fflush (opts->mbe_out_fR);
-  free (timestr); //free allocated memory to prevent memory leak
-  free (datestr);
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
+  if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
 }
 
 void openWavOutFile (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
diff --git a/src/dsd_frame_sync.c b/src/dsd_frame_sync.c
index d9245e8..924469c 100644
--- a/src/dsd_frame_sync.c
+++ b/src/dsd_frame_sync.c
@@ -22,26 +22,21 @@ void
 printFrameSync (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state, char *frametype, int offset, char *modulation)
 {
   UNUSED3(state, offset, modulation);
+
   char * timestr = getTimeC();
   if (opts->verbose > 0)
-    {
-      fprintf (stderr,"%s ", timestr);
-      fprintf (stderr,"Sync: %s ", frametype);
-    }
+  {
+    fprintf (stderr,"%s ", timestr);
+    fprintf (stderr,"Sync: %s ", frametype);
+  }
   if (opts->verbose > 2)
-    {
-      //fprintf (stderr,"o: %4i ", offset);
-    }
+    //fprintf (stderr,"o: %4i ", offset);
   if (opts->verbose > 1)
-    {
-      //fprintf (stderr,"mod: %s ", modulation); 
-    }
+    //fprintf (stderr,"mod: %s ", modulation); 
   if (opts->verbose > 2)
-    {
-      //fprintf (stderr,"g: %f ", state->aout_gain);
-    }
+    //fprintf (stderr,"g: %f ", state->aout_gain);
 
-  free (timestr);
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dsd_gps.c b/src/dsd_gps.c
index ea3afd1..7a6b4d9 100644
--- a/src/dsd_gps.c
+++ b/src/dsd_gps.c
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ void lip_protocol_decoder (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state, uint8_t * input)
       fprintf (pFile, "\n");
       fclose (pFile);
 
-      free (datestr);
-      free (timestr);
+      if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
+      if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
     }
 
@@ -246,8 +246,8 @@ void nmea_iec_61162_1 (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state, uint8_t * input, uint
     fprintf (pFile, "\n");
     fclose (pFile);
 
-    free (datestr);
-    free (timestr);
+    if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
+    if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
   }
 
@@ -371,8 +371,8 @@ void nmea_harris (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state, uint8_t * input, uint32_t
     fprintf (pFile, "\n");
     fclose (pFile);
 
-    free (datestr);
-    free (timestr);
+    if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
+    if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
   }
 
@@ -501,8 +501,8 @@ void harris_gps(dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state, int slot, uint8_t * input)
     fprintf (pFile, "\n");
     fclose (pFile);
 
-    free (datestr);
-    free (timestr);
+    if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
+    if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
   }
 
@@ -714,8 +714,8 @@ void apx_embedded_gps (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state, uint8_t lc_bits[])
         fprintf (pFile, "\n");
         fclose (pFile);
 
-        free (datestr);
-        free (timestr);
+        if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
+        if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
       }
 
diff --git a/src/dsd_ncurses.c b/src/dsd_ncurses.c
index fe6dd54..193eb1b 100644
--- a/src/dsd_ncurses.c
+++ b/src/dsd_ncurses.c
@@ -3803,15 +3803,15 @@ ncursesPrinter (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
       //only print if a valid time was assigned to the matrix, and not EDACS/PV, and source is not zero
       if ( ((time(NULL) - call_matrix[9-j][5]) < 999999) && call_matrix[9-j][0] != 14 && call_matrix[9-j][0] != 15 && call_matrix[9-j][0] != 37 && call_matrix[9-j][0] != 38 && call_matrix[9-j][2] != 0) //
       {
-        char * timeCH = getTimeN(call_matrix[9-j][5]);
-        char * dateCH = getDateN(call_matrix[9-j][5]);
+        char * timestrCH = getTimeN(call_matrix[9-j][5]);
+        char * datestrCH = getDateN(call_matrix[9-j][5]);
 
         printw ("| ");
-        printw ("%s ", dateCH);
-        printw ("%s ", timeCH);
+        printw ("%s ", datestrCH);
+        printw ("%s ", timestrCH);
 
-        free (dateCH);
-        free (timeCH);
+        if (datestrCH != NULL) free (datestrCH);
+        if (timestrCH != NULL) free (timestrCH);
 
         if (lls == 28 || lls == 29)
         {
@@ -3882,14 +3882,14 @@ ncursesPrinter (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
         if (call_matrix[j][2] != 0)
         {
           printw ("| ");
-          char * timeCHE = getTimeN(call_matrix[j][5]);
-          char * dateCHE = getDateN(call_matrix[j][5]);
+          char * timestrCHE = getTimeN(call_matrix[j][5]);
+          char * datestrCHE = getDateN(call_matrix[j][5]);
 
-          printw ("%s ", dateCHE);
-          printw ("%s ", timeCHE);
+          printw ("%s ", datestrCHE);
+          printw ("%s ", timestrCHE);
 
-          free (dateCHE);
-          free (timeCHE);
+          if (datestrCHE != NULL) free (datestrCHE);
+          if (timestrCHE != NULL) free (timestrCHE);
 
           printw ("LCN [%2lld] ", call_matrix[j][1]);
           if (state->ea_mode == 1)
@@ -4840,14 +4840,14 @@ ncursesPrinter (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
   //so probably just write a function to handle c input, and when c = certain values
   //needing an entry box, then stop all of those
 
-  //allocated memory pointer needs to be free'd each time
-  //if issues arise, just delete this line.
-  //TODO: Redo this in edacs and file, making a seperate char * timestr instead of calling GetTime
-  //directly from the sprintf command
-  free (timestr);
-  free (datestr);
-  free (timestrC);
-  free (datestrH);
+  
+
+
+  //allocated memory pointer needs to be free'd
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
+  if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
+  if (timestrC != NULL) free (timestrC);
+  if (datestrH != NULL) free (datestrH);
 
 } //end ncursesPrinter
 
diff --git a/src/edacs-fme.c b/src/edacs-fme.c
index 2914683..58a5261 100644
--- a/src/edacs-fme.c
+++ b/src/edacs-fme.c
@@ -2135,8 +2135,8 @@ void edacs(dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
   }
 
 
-  free (timestr); //free allocated memory to prevent memory leak
-  free (datestr);
+  if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
+  if (datestr != NULL) free (datestr);
   fprintf (stderr, "\n");
 
 }
diff --git a/src/p25p2_frame.c b/src/p25p2_frame.c
index cc408ac..fcda2cb 100644
--- a/src/p25p2_frame.c
+++ b/src/p25p2_frame.c
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ void process_P2_DUID (dsd_opts * opts, dsd_state * state)
 		fprintf (stderr,"%s ", timestr);
 		fprintf (stderr, "       P25p2 ");
 		
-		free(timestr);
+		if (timestr != NULL) free (timestr);
 
 		if (state->currentslot == 0 && duid_decoded != 3 && duid_decoded != 12 && duid_decoded != 13 && duid_decoded != 4)
 		{