diff --git a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
index 3bb8c6a..85ac01c 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
+++ b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ pkgconf_tuple_t *pkgconf_tuple_add(const pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_list_
 char *pkgconf_tuple_find(const pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_list_t *list, const char *key);
 char *pkgconf_tuple_parse(const pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_list_t *list, const char *value);
 void pkgconf_tuple_free(pkgconf_list_t *list);
+void pkgconf_tuple_free_entry(pkgconf_tuple_t *tuple, pkgconf_list_t *list);
 void pkgconf_tuple_add_global(pkgconf_client_t *client, const char *key, const char *value);
 char *pkgconf_tuple_find_global(const pkgconf_client_t *client, const char *key);
 void pkgconf_tuple_free_global(pkgconf_client_t *client);
diff --git a/libpkgconf/tuple.c b/libpkgconf/tuple.c
index 8698f6b..6fbd0d6 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/tuple.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/tuple.c
@@ -155,17 +155,21 @@ pkgconf_tuple_parse(const pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_list_t *vars, const
 	return strdup(buf);
 }
 
+void
+pkgconf_tuple_free_entry(pkgconf_tuple_t *tuple, pkgconf_list_t *list)
+{
+	pkgconf_node_delete(&tuple->iter, list);
+
+	free(tuple->key);
+	free(tuple->value);
+	free(tuple);
+}
+
 void
 pkgconf_tuple_free(pkgconf_list_t *list)
 {
 	pkgconf_node_t *node, *next;
 
 	PKGCONF_FOREACH_LIST_ENTRY_SAFE(list->head, next, node)
-	{
-		pkgconf_tuple_t *tuple = node->data;
-
-		free(tuple->key);
-		free(tuple->value);
-		free(tuple);
-	}
+		pkgconf_tuple_free_entry(node->data, list);
 }