diff --git a/sdl.c b/sdl.c
index d81399e51..6d88cd525 100644
--- a/sdl.c
+++ b/sdl.c
@@ -268,32 +268,35 @@ static uint8_t sdl_keyevent_to_keycode(const SDL_KeyboardEvent *ev)
 static int check_for_evdev(void)
 {
     SDL_SysWMinfo info;
-    XkbDescPtr desc;
+    XkbDescPtr desc = NULL;
     int has_evdev = 0;
-    const char *keycodes;
+    char *keycodes = NULL;
 
     SDL_VERSION(&info.version);
-    if (!SDL_GetWMInfo(&info))
+    if (!SDL_GetWMInfo(&info)) {
         return 0;
-
+    }
     desc = XkbGetKeyboard(info.info.x11.display,
                           XkbGBN_AllComponentsMask,
                           XkbUseCoreKbd);
-    if (desc == NULL || desc->names == NULL)
-        return 0;
-
-    keycodes = XGetAtomName(info.info.x11.display, desc->names->keycodes);
-    if (keycodes == NULL)
-        fprintf(stderr, "could not lookup keycode name\n");
-    else if (strstart(keycodes, "evdev", NULL))
-        has_evdev = 1;
-    else if (!strstart(keycodes, "xfree86", NULL))
-        fprintf(stderr,
-                "unknown keycodes `%s', please report to qemu-devel@nongnu.org\n",
-                keycodes);
-
-    XkbFreeClientMap(desc, XkbGBN_AllComponentsMask, True);
+    if (desc && desc->names) {
+        keycodes = XGetAtomName(info.info.x11.display, desc->names->keycodes);
+        if (keycodes == NULL) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "could not lookup keycode name\n");
+        } else if (strstart(keycodes, "evdev", NULL)) {
+            has_evdev = 1;
+        } else if (!strstart(keycodes, "xfree86", NULL)) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "unknown keycodes `%s', please report to "
+                    "qemu-devel@nongnu.org\n", keycodes);
+        }
+    }
 
+    if (desc) {
+        XkbFreeKeyboard(desc, XkbGBN_AllComponentsMask, True);
+    }
+    if (keycodes) {
+        XFree(keycodes);
+    }
     return has_evdev;
 }
 #else