diff --git a/library/ssl_tls.c b/library/ssl_tls.c
index ccfc4bdaa8..bbbe80f46c 100644
--- a/library/ssl_tls.c
+++ b/library/ssl_tls.c
@@ -6661,14 +6661,6 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_context_load( mbedtls_ssl_context *context,
  */
 void mbedtls_ssl_free( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
 {
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_VARIABLE_BUFFER_LENGTH)
-    size_t in_buf_len = ssl->in_buf_len;
-    size_t out_buf_len = ssl->out_buf_len;
-#else
-    size_t in_buf_len = MBEDTLS_SSL_IN_BUFFER_LEN;
-    size_t out_buf_len = MBEDTLS_SSL_OUT_BUFFER_LEN;
-#endif
-
     if( ssl == NULL )
         return;
 
@@ -6676,6 +6668,12 @@ void mbedtls_ssl_free( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
 
     if( ssl->out_buf != NULL )
     {
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_VARIABLE_BUFFER_LENGTH)
+        size_t out_buf_len = ssl->out_buf_len;
+#else
+        size_t out_buf_len = MBEDTLS_SSL_OUT_BUFFER_LEN;
+#endif
+
         mbedtls_platform_zeroize( ssl->out_buf, out_buf_len );
         mbedtls_free( ssl->out_buf );
         ssl->out_buf = NULL;
@@ -6683,6 +6681,12 @@ void mbedtls_ssl_free( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
 
     if( ssl->in_buf != NULL )
     {
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_VARIABLE_BUFFER_LENGTH)
+        size_t in_buf_len = ssl->in_buf_len;
+#else
+        size_t in_buf_len = MBEDTLS_SSL_IN_BUFFER_LEN;
+#endif
+
         mbedtls_platform_zeroize( ssl->in_buf, in_buf_len );
         mbedtls_free( ssl->in_buf );
         ssl->in_buf = NULL;