diff --git a/tarWrite.c b/tarWrite.c
index f5af449..7d46014 100644
--- a/tarWrite.c
+++ b/tarWrite.c
@@ -29,11 +29,13 @@
 unsigned char *write_buffer;
 unsigned buffer_size = 4096;
 unsigned buffer_loc = 0;
+int buffer_status = 0;
 
 void reinit_libtar_buffer(void) {
 	flush = 0;
 	eot_count = -1;
 	buffer_loc = 0;
+	buffer_status = 1;
 }
 
 void init_libtar_buffer(unsigned new_buff_size) {
@@ -45,7 +47,9 @@
 }
 
 void free_libtar_buffer(void) {
-	free(write_buffer);
+	if (buffer_status > 0)
+		free(write_buffer);
+	buffer_status = 0;
 }
 
 ssize_t write_libtar_buffer(int fd, const void *buffer, size_t size) {
@@ -89,4 +93,5 @@
 
 void flush_libtar_buffer(int fd) {
 	eot_count = 0;
+	buffer_status = 2;
 }