diff --git a/src/util/yaml.zig b/src/util/yaml.zig
index b3a8c6d8a19132e774e40b72861db2f000b39de4..2f38ac77ce407c85657fabe12e20c997da9f3640 100644
--- a/src/util/yaml.zig
+++ b/src/util/yaml.zig
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ pub const TokenList = []const Token;
 pub fn parse(alloc: *std.mem.Allocator, input: string) !Document {
     var parser: c.yaml_parser_t = undefined;
     _ = c.yaml_parser_initialize(&parser);
+    defer c.yaml_parser_delete(&parser);
 
     const lines = try u.split(input, "\n");
 
@@ -170,8 +171,6 @@ pub fn parse(alloc: *std.mem.Allocator, input: string) !Document {
         }
     }
 
-    c.yaml_parser_delete(&parser);
-
     const p = &Parser{
         .alloc = alloc,
         .tokens = all_events.items,