diff --git a/iocore/net/P_SSLSNI.h b/iocore/net/P_SSLSNI.h
index 43055eb467c..33d753e67c7 100644
--- a/iocore/net/P_SSLSNI.h
+++ b/iocore/net/P_SSLSNI.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 #include <vector>
 #include <strings.h>
+#include <memory>
 
 #include "ProxyConfig.h"
 #include "P_SNIActionPerformer.h"
@@ -50,10 +51,28 @@ struct NextHopProperty {
 
 using actionVector = std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ActionItem>>;
 
+struct pcreFreer {
+  void
+  operator()(void *p)
+  {
+    pcre_free(p);
+  }
+};
+
 struct namedElement {
 public:
   namedElement() {}
 
+  namedElement &
+  operator=(namedElement &&other)
+  {
+    if (this != &other) {
+      match = std::move(other.match);
+    }
+    return *this;
+  }
+  namedElement(namedElement &&other) { *this = std::move(other); }
+
   void
   setGlobName(std::string name)
   {
@@ -76,13 +95,11 @@ struct namedElement {
     const char *err_ptr;
     int err_offset = 0;
     if (!regexName.empty()) {
-      match = pcre_compile(regexName.c_str(), PCRE_ANCHORED, &err_ptr, &err_offset, nullptr);
-    } else {
-      match = nullptr;
+      match.reset(pcre_compile(regexName.c_str(), PCRE_ANCHORED, &err_ptr, &err_offset, nullptr));
     }
   }
 
-  pcre *match = nullptr;
+  std::unique_ptr<pcre, pcreFreer> match;
 };
 
 struct actionElement : public namedElement {
diff --git a/iocore/net/SSLSNIConfig.cc b/iocore/net/SSLSNIConfig.cc
index c0f2c5eca5f..93a8243fcc9 100644
--- a/iocore/net/SSLSNIConfig.cc
+++ b/iocore/net/SSLSNIConfig.cc
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ SNIConfigParams::getPropertyConfig(const std::string &servername) const
 {
   const NextHopProperty *nps = nullptr;
   for (auto &&item : next_hop_list) {
-    if (pcre_exec(item.match, nullptr, servername.c_str(), servername.length(), 0, 0, nullptr, 0) >= 0) {
+    if (pcre_exec(item.match.get(), nullptr, servername.c_str(), servername.length(), 0, 0, nullptr, 0) >= 0) {
       // Found a match
       nps = &item.prop;
       break;
@@ -118,7 +118,8 @@ SNIConfigParams::get(const std::string &servername) const
     int length = servername.length();
     if (retval.match == nullptr && length == 0) {
       return {&retval.actions, context};
-    } else if (auto offset = pcre_exec(retval.match, nullptr, servername.c_str(), length, 0, 0, ovector, OVECSIZE); offset >= 0) {
+    } else if (auto offset = pcre_exec(retval.match.get(), nullptr, servername.c_str(), length, 0, 0, ovector, OVECSIZE);
+               offset >= 0) {
       if (offset == 1) {
         // first pair identify the portion of the subject string matched by the entire pattern
         if (ovector[0] == 0 && ovector[1] == length) {