diff --git a/src/openvpn/pf.c b/src/openvpn/pf.c
index 5cb002bf..e1b5b0e7 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/pf.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/pf.c
@@ -618,19 +618,18 @@ pf_load_from_buffer_list(struct context *c, const struct buffer_list *config)
 void
 pf_init_context(struct context *c)
 {
-    struct gc_arena gc = gc_new();
 #ifdef PLUGIN_PF
     if (plugin_defined(c->plugins, OPENVPN_PLUGIN_ENABLE_PF))
     {
-        const char *pf_file = create_temp_file(c->options.tmp_dir, "pf", &gc);
-        if (pf_file)
+        c->c2.pf.filename = create_temp_file(c->options.tmp_dir, "pf",
+                                             &c->c2.gc);
+        if (c->c2.pf.filename)
         {
-            setenv_str(c->c2.es, "pf_file", pf_file);
+            setenv_str(c->c2.es, "pf_file", c->c2.pf.filename);
 
             if (plugin_call(c->plugins, OPENVPN_PLUGIN_ENABLE_PF, NULL, NULL, c->c2.es) == OPENVPN_PLUGIN_FUNC_SUCCESS)
             {
                 event_timeout_init(&c->c2.pf.reload, 1, now);
-                c->c2.pf.filename = string_alloc(pf_file, &c->c2.gc);
                 c->c2.pf.enabled = true;
 #ifdef ENABLE_DEBUG
                 if (check_debug_level(D_PF_DEBUG))
@@ -658,7 +657,6 @@ pf_init_context(struct context *c)
 #endif
     }
 #endif
-    gc_free(&gc);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/openvpn/pf.h b/src/openvpn/pf.h
index 414c85b8..b839fd2e 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/pf.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/pf.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ struct pf_context {
     bool enabled;
     struct pf_set *pfs;
 #ifdef PLUGIN_PF
-    char *filename;
+    const char *filename;
     time_t file_last_mod;
     unsigned int n_check_reload;
     struct event_timeout reload;