diff --git a/include/haproxy/proxy.h b/include/haproxy/proxy.h
index e62007f00..81d6b0bc4 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/proxy.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/proxy.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ struct server *findserver(const struct proxy *px, const char *name);
 int proxy_cfg_ensure_no_http(struct proxy *curproxy);
 void init_new_proxy(struct proxy *p);
 void proxy_preset_defaults(struct proxy *defproxy);
+void proxy_free_defaults(struct proxy *defproxy);
 struct proxy *alloc_new_proxy(const char *name, unsigned int cap, const char *file, int linenum,
                               const struct proxy *defproxy, char **errmsg);
 int get_backend_server(const char *bk_name, const char *sv_name,
diff --git a/src/cfgparse-listen.c b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
index 6a43857a3..edcc04138 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse-listen.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
@@ -236,55 +236,13 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 		goto out;
 	}
 	else if (strcmp(args[0], "defaults") == 0) {  /* use this one to assign default values */
-		/* some variables may have already been initialized earlier */
-		/* FIXME-20070101: we should do this too at the end of the
-		 * config parsing to free all default values.
-		 */
 		if (alertif_too_many_args(1, file, linenum, args, &err_code)) {
 			err_code |= ERR_ABORT;
 			goto out;
 		}
 
-		free(defproxy.conf.file);
-		free(defproxy.check_command);
-		free(defproxy.check_path);
-		free(defproxy.cookie_name);
-		free(defproxy.rdp_cookie_name);
-		free(defproxy.dyncookie_key);
-		free(defproxy.cookie_domain);
-		free(defproxy.cookie_attrs);
-		free(defproxy.lbprm.arg_str);
-		free(defproxy.capture_name);
-		free(defproxy.monitor_uri);
-		free(defproxy.defbe.name);
-		free(defproxy.conn_src.iface_name);
-		free(defproxy.fwdfor_hdr_name);
-		defproxy.fwdfor_hdr_len = 0;
-		free(defproxy.orgto_hdr_name);
-		defproxy.orgto_hdr_len = 0;
-		free(defproxy.server_id_hdr_name);
-		defproxy.server_id_hdr_len = 0;
-
-		if (defproxy.conf.logformat_string != default_http_log_format &&
-		    defproxy.conf.logformat_string != default_tcp_log_format &&
-		    defproxy.conf.logformat_string != clf_http_log_format)
-			free(defproxy.conf.logformat_string);
-
-		free(defproxy.conf.uniqueid_format_string);
-		free(defproxy.conf.lfs_file);
-		free(defproxy.conf.uif_file);
-		chunk_destroy(&defproxy.log_tag);
-		free_email_alert(&defproxy);
-
-		if (defproxy.conf.logformat_sd_string != default_rfc5424_sd_log_format)
-			free(defproxy.conf.logformat_sd_string);
-		free(defproxy.conf.lfsd_file);
-
-		proxy_release_conf_errors(&defproxy);
-
-		deinit_proxy_tcpcheck(&defproxy);
-
-		/* we cannot free uri_auth because it might already be used */
+		/* let's first free previous defaults */
+		proxy_free_defaults(&defproxy);
 		init_new_proxy(&defproxy);
 		proxy_preset_defaults(&defproxy);
 		curproxy = &defproxy;
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 6a1c9dff9..a60d4530d 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -1099,6 +1099,57 @@ void proxy_preset_defaults(struct proxy *defproxy)
 #endif
 }
 
+/* Frees all dynamic settings allocated on a default proxy that's about to be
+ * destroyed. This is a subset of the complete proxy deinit code, but these
+ * should probably be merged ultimately. Note that most of the fields are not
+ * even reset, so extreme care is required here, and calling
+ * proxy_preset_defaults() afterwards would be safer.
+ */
+void proxy_free_defaults(struct proxy *defproxy)
+{
+	free(defproxy->conf.file);
+	free(defproxy->check_command);
+	free(defproxy->check_path);
+	free(defproxy->cookie_name);
+	free(defproxy->rdp_cookie_name);
+	free(defproxy->dyncookie_key);
+	free(defproxy->cookie_domain);
+	free(defproxy->cookie_attrs);
+	free(defproxy->lbprm.arg_str);
+	free(defproxy->capture_name);
+	free(defproxy->monitor_uri);
+	free(defproxy->defbe.name);
+	free(defproxy->conn_src.iface_name);
+	free(defproxy->fwdfor_hdr_name);
+	defproxy->fwdfor_hdr_len = 0;
+	free(defproxy->orgto_hdr_name);
+	defproxy->orgto_hdr_len = 0;
+	free(defproxy->server_id_hdr_name);
+	defproxy->server_id_hdr_len = 0;
+
+	if (defproxy->conf.logformat_string != default_http_log_format &&
+	    defproxy->conf.logformat_string != default_tcp_log_format &&
+	    defproxy->conf.logformat_string != clf_http_log_format)
+		free(defproxy->conf.logformat_string);
+
+	if (defproxy->conf.logformat_sd_string != default_rfc5424_sd_log_format)
+		free(defproxy->conf.logformat_sd_string);
+
+	free(defproxy->conf.uniqueid_format_string);
+	free(defproxy->conf.lfs_file);
+	free(defproxy->conf.lfsd_file);
+	free(defproxy->conf.uif_file);
+	chunk_destroy(&defproxy->log_tag);
+
+	free_email_alert(defproxy);
+	proxy_release_conf_errors(defproxy);
+	deinit_proxy_tcpcheck(defproxy);
+
+	/* FIXME: we cannot free uri_auth because it might already be used by
+	 * another proxy (legacy code for stats URI ...). Refcount anyone ?
+	 */
+}
+
 /* Allocates a new proxy <name> of type <cap> found at position <file:linenum>,
  * preset it from the defaults of <defproxy> and returns it. Un case of error,
  * an alert is printed and NULL is returned. If <errmsg> is not NULL, an error