diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 73ac1fcbb9c..a60dc6af178 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ static char *get_up_path(const char *path)
 static int module_list(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int i;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 
 	struct option module_list_options[] = {
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ static int module_list(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			   N_("alternative anchor for relative paths")),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	const char *const git_submodule_helper_usage[] = {
 		N_("git submodule--helper list [--prefix=<path>] [<path>...]"),
@@ -288,7 +289,7 @@ static int module_list(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++) {
 		const struct cache_entry *ce = list.entries[i];
@@ -302,7 +303,10 @@ static int module_list(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 		fprintf(stdout, "%s\n", ce->name);
 	}
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static void for_each_listed_submodule(const struct module_list *list,
@@ -427,7 +431,7 @@ static void runcommand_in_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item,
 static int module_foreach(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct foreach_cb info = FOREACH_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 
 	struct option module_foreach_options[] = {
@@ -441,12 +445,13 @@ static int module_foreach(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule foreach [--quiet] [--recursive] [--] <command>"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_foreach_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(0, NULL, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.argc = argc;
 	info.argv = argv;
@@ -454,7 +459,10 @@ static int module_foreach(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, runcommand_in_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int starts_with_dot_slash(const char *const path)
@@ -562,7 +570,7 @@ static void init_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item, void *cb_data
 static int module_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct init_cb info = INIT_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 
@@ -575,12 +583,13 @@ static int module_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule init [<options>] [<path>]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_init_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	/*
 	 * If there are no path args and submodule.active is set then,
@@ -595,7 +604,10 @@ static int module_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, init_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct status_cb {
@@ -740,7 +752,7 @@ static void status_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item,
 static int module_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct status_cb info = STATUS_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 
@@ -755,12 +767,13 @@ static int module_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule status [--quiet] [--cached] [--recursive] [<path>...]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_status_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.prefix = prefix;
 	if (quiet)
@@ -768,7 +781,10 @@ static int module_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, status_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int module_name(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
@@ -1326,10 +1342,11 @@ static void sync_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item, void *cb_data
 static int module_sync(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct sync_cb info = SYNC_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 	int recursive = 0;
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	struct option module_sync_options[] = {
 		OPT__QUIET(&quiet, N_("suppress output of synchronizing submodule url")),
@@ -1347,7 +1364,7 @@ static int module_sync(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.prefix = prefix;
 	if (quiet)
@@ -1357,7 +1374,10 @@ static int module_sync(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, sync_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct deinit_cb {
@@ -1464,7 +1484,7 @@ static void deinit_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item,
 static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct deinit_cb info = DEINIT_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 	int force = 0;
@@ -1481,6 +1501,7 @@ static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule deinit [--quiet] [-f | --force] [--all | [--] [<path>...]]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_deinit_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
@@ -1495,7 +1516,7 @@ static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		die(_("Use '--all' if you really want to deinitialize all submodules"));
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.prefix = prefix;
 	if (quiet)
@@ -1505,7 +1526,10 @@ static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, deinit_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct module_clone_data {
@@ -2577,7 +2601,7 @@ static int update_submodules(struct update_data *update_data)
 
 static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct update_data opt = UPDATE_DATA_INIT;
 	struct list_objects_filter_options filter_options = { 0 };
 	int ret;
@@ -2656,8 +2680,8 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		opt.update_strategy.type = opt.update_default;
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &opt.list) < 0) {
-		list_objects_filter_release(&filter_options);
-		return 1;
+		ret = 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
 	if (pathspec.nr)
@@ -2668,8 +2692,10 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		struct init_cb info = INIT_CB_INIT;
 
 		if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, opt.prefix,
-					&pathspec, &list) < 0)
-			return 1;
+					&pathspec, &list) < 0) {
+			ret = 1;
+			goto cleanup;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * If there are no path args and submodule.active is set then,
@@ -2686,7 +2712,9 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	ret = update_submodules(&opt);
+cleanup:
 	list_objects_filter_release(&filter_options);
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -2770,9 +2798,10 @@ static int push_check(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 static int absorb_git_dirs(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int i;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	unsigned flags = ABSORB_GITDIR_RECURSE_SUBMODULES;
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	struct option embed_gitdir_options[] = {
 		OPT_STRING(0, "prefix", &prefix,
@@ -2792,12 +2821,15 @@ static int absorb_git_dirs(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++)
 		absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(list.entries[i]->name, flags);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int is_active(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
