diff --git a/src/ckpool.c b/src/ckpool.c
index 859b36cc..45b3c4bc 100644
--- a/src/ckpool.c
+++ b/src/ckpool.c
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ int read_socket_line(connsock_t *cs, int timeout)
 
 	while (42) {
 		char readbuf[PAGESIZE] = {};
+		char *ptr;
 
 		FD_ZERO(&rd);
 		FD_SET(cs->fd, &rd);
@@ -173,9 +174,10 @@ int read_socket_line(connsock_t *cs, int timeout)
 		}
 		buflen = cs->bufofs + ret + 1;
 		align_len(&buflen);
-		cs->buf = realloc(cs->buf, buflen);
-		if (unlikely(!cs->buf))
+		ptr = realloc(cs->buf, buflen);
+		if (unlikely(!ptr))
 			quit(1, "Failed to alloc buf of %d bytes in read_socket_line", (int)buflen);
+		cs->buf = ptr;
 		memcpy(cs->buf + cs->bufofs, readbuf, ret);
 		eom = strchr(cs->buf, '\n');
 		cs->bufofs += ret;