diff --git a/src/network/CorsGate.zig b/src/network/CorsGate.zig
index 4208db647..f30bffa50 100644
--- a/src/network/CorsGate.zig
+++ b/src/network/CorsGate.zig
@@ -486,10 +486,7 @@ fn fetchThenResume(self: *CorsGate, transfer: *Transfer) !void {
     const owned_key = try arena.dupe(u8, key);
     const owned_origin = try arena.dupe(u8, origin);
 
-    const owned_referer: ?[]const u8 = if (transfer.findRequestHeader("referer")) |r|
-        try arena.dupe(u8, r)
-    else
-        null;
+    const referer: ?[]const u8 = transfer.findRequestHeader("referer");
 
     const owned_header_names = try arena.alloc([]const u8, header_names.items.len);
     for (header_names.items, 0..) |name, i| {
@@ -536,8 +533,8 @@ fn fetchThenResume(self: *CorsGate, transfer: *Transfer) !void {
         .{},
     );
 
-    if (owned_referer) |referer| {
-        try fetch_transfer.setHeader("Referer", referer, .{});
+    if (referer) |r| {
+        try fetch_transfer.setHeader("Referer", r, .{});
     }
 
     // Access-Control-Allow-Methods