diff --git a/man/man3/pmdatext.3 b/man/man3/pmdatext.3
index 503e5f3..a4700cf 100644
--- a/man/man3/pmdatext.3
+++ b/man/man3/pmdatext.3
@@ -89,12 +89,10 @@ for the full help text.
 .PP
 The
 .I buffer
-is allocated using
-.BR malloc (3)
-and should be released by the caller of
-.B pmdaText
-with a call to
-.BR free (3).
+is managed internally and should
+.B not
+be released or freed by the caller of
+.BR pmdaText .
 .SH DIAGNOSTICS
 If the requested help text
 could not be obtained, 
diff --git a/src/dbpmda/src/dso.c b/src/dbpmda/src/dso.c
index 7c52296..4393447 100644
--- a/src/dbpmda/src/dso.c
+++ b/src/dbpmda/src/dso.c
@@ -464,7 +464,9 @@ dodso(int pdu)
 			printf("%s\n", buffer);
 		    else
 			printf("<no help text specified>\n");
-		    free(buffer);
+		    /* only PMDA_INTERFACE_1 uses a malloc'd buffer */
+		    if (dispatch.comm.pmda_interface == PMDA_INTERFACE_1)
+			free(buffer);
 		}
 		else {
 		    if (dispatch.comm.pmapi_version == PMAPI_VERSION_1)
diff --git a/src/libpcp/src/help.c b/src/libpcp/src/help.c
index 5046603..eebce9d 100644
--- a/src/libpcp/src/help.c
+++ b/src/libpcp/src/help.c
@@ -105,8 +105,11 @@ again_local:
 		    type |= PM_TEXT_ONELINE;
 		    goto again_local;
 		}
-		if (n == 0) {
-		    /* PMDAs don't allocate this space, but the caller will free it */
+		if (n == 0 && dp->dispatch.comm.pmda_interface != PMDA_INTERFACE_1) {
+		    /*
+		     * PMDAs after PMDA_INTERFACE_1 don't malloc the buffer
+		     * but the caller will free it
+		     */
 		    *buffer = strdup(*buffer);
 		} else if (n < 0 &&
 		    dp->dispatch.comm.pmapi_version == PMAPI_VERSION_1) {
diff --git a/src/libpcp_pmda/src/libdefs.h b/src/libpcp_pmda/src/libdefs.h
index e91f703..91546fd 100644
--- a/src/libpcp_pmda/src/libdefs.h
+++ b/src/libpcp_pmda/src/libdefs.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #ifndef LIBDEFS_H
 #define LIBDEFS_H
 
+#define HAVE_V_ONE(interface) (interface == PMDA_INTERFACE_1)
 #define HAVE_V_TWO(interface) (interface == PMDA_INTERFACE_2 || interface == PMDA_INTERFACE_3)
 #define HAVE_V_FOUR(interface) (interface == PMDA_INTERFACE_4)
 
diff --git a/src/libpcp_pmda/src/mainloop.c b/src/libpcp_pmda/src/mainloop.c
index b6333b6..445be7f 100644
--- a/src/libpcp_pmda/src/mainloop.c
+++ b/src/libpcp_pmda/src/mainloop.c
@@ -363,8 +363,12 @@ __pmdaMainPDU(pmdaInterface *dispatch)
 	}
 	if (sts < 0)
 	    __pmSendError(pmda->e_outfd, PDU_BINARY, sts);
-	else
+	else {
 	    __pmSendText(pmda->e_outfd, PDU_BINARY, ident, buffer);
+	    /* only PMDA_INTERFACE_1 malloc's the buffer */
+	    if (HAVE_V_ONE(dispatch->comm.pmda_interface))
+		free(buffer);
+	}
 	break;
 
     case PDU_RESULT: