--- python2/Bindings/Python/brlapi.pyx	2023-07-17 07:55:47.000000000 -0700
+++ python2/Bindings/Python/brlapi.pyx.new	2023-08-15 09:06:23.675136077 -0700
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@
 		c_brlapi.brlapi_protocolExceptionInit(self.h)
 		if self.fd == -1:
 			c_brlapi.free(self.h)
+			self.h = NULL
 			raise ConnectionError(self.settings.host, self.settings.auth)
 
 	def closeConnection(self):
@@ -465,7 +466,8 @@
 		"""Release resources used by the connection"""
 		if self.fd != -1:
 			c_brlapi.brlapi__closeConnection(self.h)
-		c_brlapi.free(self.h)
+		if self.h != NULL:
+			c_brlapi.free(self.h)
 
 	property host:
 		"""To get authorized to connect, libbrlapi has to tell the BrlAPI server a secret key, for security reasons. This is the path to the file which holds it; it will hence have to be readable by the application."""