diff --git a/lib/rtsp.c b/lib/rtsp.c
index e32756fd87..b071458beb 100644
--- a/lib/rtsp.c
+++ b/lib/rtsp.c
@@ -270,15 +270,14 @@ static CURLcode rtsp_do(struct Curl_easy *data, bool *done)
   /* Setup the first_* fields to allow auth details get sent
      to this origin */
 
-  /* Free to avoid leaking memory on multiple requests */
-  free(data->state.first_host);
+  if(!data->state.first_host) {
+    data->state.first_host = strdup(conn->host.name);
+    if(!data->state.first_host)
+      return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 
-  data->state.first_host = strdup(conn->host.name);
-  if(!data->state.first_host)
-    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-
-  data->state.first_remote_port = conn->remote_port;
-  data->state.first_remote_protocol = conn->handler->protocol;
+    data->state.first_remote_port = conn->remote_port;
+    data->state.first_remote_protocol = conn->handler->protocol;
+  }
 
   /* Setup the 'p_request' pointer to the proper p_request string
    * Since all RTSP requests are included here, there is no need to