diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index fd21c0d4f4..ac4816c14e 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -1634,6 +1634,7 @@ int cmd_merge(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 		for (j = remoteheads; j; j = j->next) {
 			struct commit_list *common_one;
+			struct commit *common_item;
 
 			/*
 			 * Here we *have* to calculate the individual
@@ -1643,7 +1644,9 @@ int cmd_merge(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			common_one = repo_get_merge_bases(the_repository,
 							  head_commit,
 							  j->item);
-			if (!oideq(&common_one->item->object.oid, &j->item->object.oid)) {
+			common_item = common_one->item;
+			free_commit_list(common_one);
+			if (!oideq(&common_item->object.oid, &j->item->object.oid)) {
 				up_to_date = 0;
 				break;
 			}
diff --git a/t/t4214-log-graph-octopus.sh b/t/t4214-log-graph-octopus.sh
index f70c46bbbf..7905597869 100755
--- a/t/t4214-log-graph-octopus.sh
+++ b/t/t4214-log-graph-octopus.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ test_description='git log --graph of skewed left octopus merge.'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-log-graph.sh
 
diff --git a/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh b/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh
index 28d0779a8c..b877ac7235 100755
--- a/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh
+++ b/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 test_description='git log --graph of skewed merges'
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-log-graph.sh
 
diff --git a/t/t6009-rev-list-parent.sh b/t/t6009-rev-list-parent.sh
index 5a67bbc760..ced40157ed 100755
--- a/t/t6009-rev-list-parent.sh
+++ b/t/t6009-rev-list-parent.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ test_description='ancestor culling and limiting by parent number'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 check_revlist () {
diff --git a/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh b/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh
index 17b54d625d..5f414abc89 100755
--- a/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh
+++ b/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ test_description='recursive merge corner cases involving criss-cross merges'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-merge.sh
 
diff --git a/t/t6433-merge-toplevel.sh b/t/t6433-merge-toplevel.sh
index b16031465f..2b42f095dc 100755
--- a/t/t6433-merge-toplevel.sh
+++ b/t/t6433-merge-toplevel.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ test_description='"git merge" top-level frontend'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 t3033_reset () {
diff --git a/t/t6437-submodule-merge.sh b/t/t6437-submodule-merge.sh
index c9a86f2e94..daa507862c 100755
--- a/t/t6437-submodule-merge.sh
+++ b/t/t6437-submodule-merge.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 GIT_TEST_FATAL_REGISTER_SUBMODULE_ODB=1
 export GIT_TEST_FATAL_REGISTER_SUBMODULE_ODB
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-merge.sh
 
diff --git a/t/t7602-merge-octopus-many.sh b/t/t7602-merge-octopus-many.sh
index ff085b086c..3669d33bd5 100755
--- a/t/t7602-merge-octopus-many.sh
+++ b/t/t7602-merge-octopus-many.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ test_description='git merge
 
 Testing octopus merge with more than 25 refs.'
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'setup' '
diff --git a/t/t7603-merge-reduce-heads.sh b/t/t7603-merge-reduce-heads.sh
index 4887ca705b..0e85b21ec8 100755
--- a/t/t7603-merge-reduce-heads.sh
+++ b/t/t7603-merge-reduce-heads.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ test_description='git merge
 
 Testing octopus merge when reducing parents to independent branches.'
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 # 0 - 1
diff --git a/t/t7607-merge-state.sh b/t/t7607-merge-state.sh
index 89a62ac53b..9001674f2e 100755
--- a/t/t7607-merge-state.sh
+++ b/t/t7607-merge-state.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ test_description="Test that merge state is as expected after failed merge"
 
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'Ensure we restore original state if no merge strategy handles it' '
diff --git a/t/t7608-merge-messages.sh b/t/t7608-merge-messages.sh
index 0b908ab2e7..2179938c43 100755
--- a/t/t7608-merge-messages.sh
+++ b/t/t7608-merge-messages.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ test_description='test auto-generated merge messages'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 check_oneline() {