diff --git a/include/list.h b/include/list.h
index 9b62270b..e3d0d890 100644
--- a/include/list.h
+++ b/include/list.h
@@ -18,11 +18,16 @@ typedef struct list {
     size_t len;
 } list_t;
 
+typedef void (*list_elem_free_fn)(void *);
+
 /// Alloc elems if needed and ensure the list has room for at least min_size elements.
 void list_ensure_size(list_t *list, size_t min_size);
 
 /// Add to the end of elems, allocs or grows the list if needed and ensures the list has a terminating NULL.
 void list_push(list_t *list, void *p);
 
-/// Free each element and elems, does not free list itself.
-void list_free(list_t *list);
+/// Clear the list, frees each element with fn, does not free backing or list itself.
+void list_clear(list_t *list, list_elem_free_fn elem_free);
+
+/// Clear the list, free backing, does not free list itself.
+void list_free_elems(list_t *list, list_elem_free_fn elem_free);
diff --git a/src/list.c b/src/list.c
index ecef7928..acd89f56 100644
--- a/src/list.c
+++ b/src/list.c
@@ -32,15 +32,23 @@ void list_push(list_t *list, void *p)
     list->elems[list->len] = NULL; // ensure a terminating NULL
 }
 
-void list_free(list_t *list)
+void list_clear(list_t *list, list_elem_free_fn elem_free)
 {
-    if (list->len) {
-        for (void **iter = list->elems; iter && *iter; ++iter)
-            free(*iter);
-        list->len = 0;
-
-        free(list->elems);
-        list->elems = NULL;
-        list->size  = 0;
+    if (elem_free) {
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < list->len; ++i) { // list might contain NULLs
+            elem_free(list->elems[i]);
+        }
+    }
+    list->len = 0;
+    if (list->elems) {
+        list->elems[0] = NULL; // ensure a terminating NULL
     }
 }
+
+void list_free_elems(list_t *list, list_elem_free_fn elem_free)
+{
+    list_clear(list, elem_free);
+    free(list->elems);
+    list->elems = NULL;
+    list->size  = 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/rtl_433.c b/src/rtl_433.c
index 7f90d949..2078215b 100644
--- a/src/rtl_433.c
+++ b/src/rtl_433.c
@@ -1717,11 +1717,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         if (dumper->file && (dumper->file != stdout))
             fclose(dumper->file);
     }
-    list_free(&demod->dumper);
+    list_free_elems(&demod->dumper, free);
 
     r = sdr_deactivate(cfg.dev);
 
-    list_free(&demod->r_devs);
+    list_free_elems(&demod->r_devs, free);
 
     if (demod->am_analyze)
         am_analyze_free(demod->am_analyze);
@@ -1731,10 +1731,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
     sdr_close(cfg.dev);
 out:
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < cfg.output_handler.len; ++i) { // list might contain NULLs
-        data_output_free(cfg.output_handler.elems[i]);
-    }
-    free(cfg.output_handler.elems);
+    list_free_elems(&cfg.output_handler, (list_elem_free_fn)data_output_free);
+
+    list_free_elems(&cfg.in_files, NULL);
 
     return r >= 0 ? r : -r;
 }