diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 6b452ea182..f5f5b84f2b 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -4207,10 +4207,18 @@ static void save_parents(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit)
 		*pp = EMPTY_PARENT_LIST;
 }
 
+static void free_saved_parent(struct commit_list **parents)
+{
+	if (*parents != EMPTY_PARENT_LIST)
+		free_commit_list(*parents);
+}
+
 static void free_saved_parents(struct rev_info *revs)
 {
-	if (revs->saved_parents_slab)
-		clear_saved_parents(revs->saved_parents_slab);
+	if (!revs->saved_parents_slab)
+		return;
+	deep_clear_saved_parents(revs->saved_parents_slab, free_saved_parent);
+	FREE_AND_NULL(revs->saved_parents_slab);
 }
 
 struct commit_list *get_saved_parents(struct rev_info *revs, const struct commit *commit)
diff --git a/t/t6012-rev-list-simplify.sh b/t/t6012-rev-list-simplify.sh
index de1e87f162..8ed1a215da 100755
--- a/t/t6012-rev-list-simplify.sh
+++ b/t/t6012-rev-list-simplify.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ test_description='merge simplification'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 note () {