diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index aaf4e8f..d06c524 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -67,9 +67,13 @@ const SpeechHandler = struct {
             // SAFETY: this is set 8 lines below before use
             .id = undefined,
         };
+        errdefer self.allocator.destroy(process.child.?);
         process.child.?.* = std.process.Child.init(&[_][]const u8{ program, text }, self.allocator);
         try self.child_processes.append(self.allocator, process);
-        errdefer _ = self.child_processes.pop();
+        errdefer {
+            _ = self.child_processes.pop();
+            self.child_processes.shrinkAndFree(self.allocator, self.child_processes.items.len);
+        }
         try process.child.?.spawn();
         try process.child.?.waitForSpawn();
         process.id = process.child.?.id;