diff --git a/src/control/cmd/ddb/commands_wrapper.go b/src/control/cmd/ddb/commands_wrapper.go
index 1ba453d082d..d9751dbd8e5 100644
--- a/src/control/cmd/ddb/commands_wrapper.go
+++ b/src/control/cmd/ddb/commands_wrapper.go
@@ -37,6 +37,15 @@ func freeString(s *C.char) {
 	C.free(unsafe.Pointer(s))
 }
 
+func SetCString(out **C.char, s string) func() {
+	cstr := C.CString(s)
+	*out = cstr
+
+	return func() {
+		C.free(unsafe.Pointer(cstr))
+	}
+}
+
 // InitDdb initializes the ddb context and returns a closure to finalize it.
 func InitDdb(log *logging.LeveledLogger) (*DdbContext, func(), error) {
 	// Must lock to OS thread because vos init/fini uses ABT init and finalize which must be called on the same thread
diff --git a/src/control/cmd/ddb/ddb_commands.go b/src/control/cmd/ddb/ddb_commands.go
index 7273ac94b52..d515499264c 100644
--- a/src/control/cmd/ddb/ddb_commands.go
+++ b/src/control/cmd/ddb/ddb_commands.go
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ pool shard. Part of the path is used to determine what the pool uuid is.`,
 			a.String("path", "Path to the vos file to open.")
 		},
 		Run: func(c *grumble.Context) error {
+			if c.Flags.String("db_path") != "" {
+				cleanup := SetCString(&ctx.ctx.dc_db_path, c.Flags.String("db_path"))
+				defer cleanup()
+			}
 			return ddbOpen(ctx, c.Args.String("path"), c.Flags.Bool("write_mode"))
 		},
 		Completer: openCompleter,
diff --git a/src/control/cmd/ddb/main.go b/src/control/cmd/ddb/main.go
index f61903827b8..9cf5bb2089d 100644
--- a/src/control/cmd/ddb/main.go
+++ b/src/control/cmd/ddb/main.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"strings"
-	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/desertbit/columnize"
 	"github.com/desertbit/go-shlex"
@@ -31,11 +30,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/daos-stack/daos/src/control/server/engine"
 )
 
-/*
- #include <stdlib.h>
-*/
-import "C"
-
 func exitWithError(err error) {
 	cmdName := path.Base(os.Args[0])
 	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ERROR: %s: %v\n", cmdName, err)
@@ -307,13 +301,13 @@ func parseOpts(args []string, opts *cliOptions) error {
 	app := createGrumbleApp(ctx)
 
 	if opts.SysdbPath != "" {
-		ctx.ctx.dc_db_path = C.CString(string(opts.SysdbPath))
-		defer C.free(unsafe.Pointer(ctx.ctx.dc_db_path))
+		cleanup := SetCString(&ctx.ctx.dc_db_path, string(opts.SysdbPath))
+		defer cleanup()
 	}
 
 	if opts.VosPath != "" {
-		ctx.ctx.dc_pool_path = C.CString(string(opts.VosPath))
-		defer C.free(unsafe.Pointer(ctx.ctx.dc_pool_path))
+		cleanup := SetCString(&ctx.ctx.dc_pool_path, string(opts.VosPath))
+		defer cleanup()
 
 		if !strings.HasPrefix(string(opts.Args.RunCmd), "feature") &&
 			!strings.HasPrefix(string(opts.Args.RunCmd), "open") &&