diff --git a/dpi/downloads.cc b/dpi/downloads.cc
index f9fc37a..4f026b1 100644
--- a/dpi/downloads.cc
+++ b/dpi/downloads.cc
@@ -839,7 +839,8 @@ static void read_req_cb(int req_fd, void *)
    int sock_fd;
    socklen_t csz;
    Dsh *sh = NULL;
-   char *dpip_tag = NULL, *cmd = NULL, *url = NULL, *dl_dest = NULL, *ua = NULL;
+   char *dpip_tag = NULL, *cmd_ptr = NULL, *url = NULL, *dl_dest = NULL, *ua = NULL;
+   std::string cmd;
 
    /* Initialize the value-result parameter */
    csz = sizeof(struct sockaddr_un);
@@ -873,16 +874,17 @@ static void read_req_cb(int req_fd, void *)
    a_Dpip_dsh_close(sh);
    _MSG("Received tag={%s}\n", dpip_tag);
 
-   if ((cmd = a_Dpip_get_attr(dpip_tag, "cmd")) == NULL) {
+   if ((cmd_ptr = a_Dpip_get_attr(dpip_tag, "cmd")) == NULL) {
       MSG("Failed to parse 'cmd' in {%s}\n", dpip_tag);
       goto end;
    }
-   if (strcmp(cmd, "DpiBye") == 0) {
+   cmd= cmd_ptr;
+   if (strcmp(cmd.c_str(), "DpiBye") == 0) {
       MSG("got DpiBye, ignoring...\n");
       goto end;
    }
-   if (strcmp(cmd, "download") != 0) {
-      MSG("unknown command: '%s'. Aborting.\n", cmd);
+   if (strcmp(cmd.c_str(), "download") != 0) {
+      MSG("unknown command: '%s'. Aborting.\n", cmd.c_str());
       goto end;
    }
    if (!(url = a_Dpip_get_attr(dpip_tag, "url"))){
@@ -900,7 +902,6 @@ static void read_req_cb(int req_fd, void *)
    dl_win->add(dl_dest, url, ua);
 
 end:
-   dFree(cmd);
    dFree(url);
    dFree(dl_dest);
    dFree(dpip_tag);