4 files changed, 18 insertions, 10 deletions
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/vim.c b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
index a60a069fae..3a24f2b405 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/vim.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
@@ -1025,8 +1025,7 @@ static void term_resize(uint16_t width, uint16_t height, void *data)
 static void term_close(void *data)
 {
   Channel *chan = data;
-  terminal_destroy(chan->term);
-  chan->term = NULL;
+  terminal_destroy(&chan->term);
   api_free_luaref(chan->stream.internal.cb);
   chan->stream.internal.cb = LUA_NOREF;
   channel_decref(chan);
diff --git a/src/nvim/buffer.c b/src/nvim/buffer.c
index 4fb3f66349..f13f6e35ea 100644
--- a/src/nvim/buffer.c
+++ b/src/nvim/buffer.c
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ bool close_buffer(win_T *win, buf_T *buf, int action, bool abort_if_last, bool i
   }
 
   if (buf->terminal) {
-    terminal_close(buf->terminal, -1);
+    terminal_close(&buf->terminal, -1);
   }
 
   // Always remove the buffer when there is no file name.
diff --git a/src/nvim/channel.c b/src/nvim/channel.c
index ecc3a24784..20fae3a206 100644
--- a/src/nvim/channel.c
+++ b/src/nvim/channel.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ bool channel_close(uint64_t id, ChannelPart part, const char **error)
       api_free_luaref(chan->stream.internal.cb);
       chan->stream.internal.cb = LUA_NOREF;
       chan->stream.internal.closed = true;
-      terminal_close(chan->term, 0);
+      terminal_close(&chan->term, 0);
     } else {
       channel_decref(chan);
     }
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ static void channel_process_exit_cb(Process *proc, int status, void *data)
 {
   Channel *chan = data;
   if (chan->term) {
-    terminal_close(chan->term, status);
+    terminal_close(&chan->term, status);
   }
 
   // If process did not exit, we only closed the handle of a detached process.
@@ -798,8 +798,9 @@ static inline void term_delayed_free(void **argv)
     return;
   }
 
-  terminal_destroy(chan->term);
-  chan->term = NULL;
+  if (chan->term) {
+    terminal_destroy(&chan->term);
+  }
   channel_decref(chan);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/terminal.c b/src/nvim/terminal.c
index a0adf482e4..b9fdddf235 100644
--- a/src/nvim/terminal.c
+++ b/src/nvim/terminal.c
@@ -275,8 +275,12 @@ Terminal *terminal_open(buf_T *buf, TerminalOptions opts)
   return rv;
 }
 
-void terminal_close(Terminal *term, int status)
+/// Closes the Terminal buffer.
+///
+/// May call terminal_destroy, which sets caller storage to NULL.
+void terminal_close(Terminal **termpp, int status)
 {
+  Terminal *term = *termpp;
   if (term->destroy) {
     return;
   }
@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ void terminal_close(Terminal *term, int status)
   if (entered_free_all_mem) {
     // If called from close_buffer() inside free_all_mem(), the main loop has
     // already been freed, so it is not safe to call the close callback here.
-    terminal_destroy(term);
+    terminal_destroy(termpp);
     return;
   }
 #endif
@@ -586,8 +590,11 @@ static int terminal_execute(VimState *state, int key)
   return 1;
 }
 
-void terminal_destroy(Terminal *term)
+/// Frees the given Terminal structure and sets the caller storage to NULL (in the spirit of
+/// XFREE_CLEAR).
+void terminal_destroy(Terminal **termpp)
 {
+  Terminal *term = *termpp;
   buf_T *buf = handle_get_buffer(term->buf_handle);
   if (buf) {
     term->buf_handle = 0;
@@ -608,6 +615,7 @@ void terminal_destroy(Terminal *term)
     xfree(term->sb_buffer);
     vterm_free(term->vt);
     xfree(term);
+    *termpp = NULL;  // coverity[dead-store]
   }
 }