diff --git a/src/openvpn/openvpn.c b/src/openvpn/openvpn.c
index b7eca19..f38660f 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/openvpn.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/openvpn.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@
 #endif
 
             /* initialize options to default state */
-            init_options(&c.options, true);
+            init_options(&c.options);
 
             /* parse command line options, and read configuration file */
             parse_argv(&c.options, argc, argv, M_USAGE, OPT_P_DEFAULT, NULL, c.es);
diff --git a/src/openvpn/options.c b/src/openvpn/options.c
index cdb02e9..4e1e32a 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/options.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/options.c
@@ -792,15 +792,12 @@
  * will be set to 0.
  */
 void
-init_options(struct options *o, const bool init_gc)
+init_options(struct options *o)
 {
     CLEAR(*o);
-    if (init_gc)
-    {
-        gc_init(&o->gc);
-        gc_init(&o->dns_options.gc);
-        o->gc_owned = true;
-    }
+    gc_init(&o->gc);
+    gc_init(&o->dns_options.gc);
+
     o->mode = MODE_POINT_TO_POINT;
     o->topology = TOP_UNDEF;
     o->ce.proto = PROTO_UDP;
@@ -925,11 +922,9 @@
     {
         CLEAR(*o->remote_list);
     }
-    if (o->gc_owned)
-    {
-        gc_free(&o->gc);
-        gc_free(&o->dns_options.gc);
-    }
+
+    gc_free(&o->gc);
+    gc_free(&o->dns_options.gc);
 }
 
 #ifndef ENABLE_SMALL
@@ -2256,7 +2251,7 @@
     int dev = DEV_TYPE_UNDEF;
     bool pull = false;
 
-    init_options(&defaults, true);
+    init_options(&defaults);
 
     if (!options->test_crypto)
     {
@@ -4824,7 +4819,7 @@
 #else
 
     struct options o;
-    init_options(&o, true);
+    init_options(&o);
 
     fprintf(fp, usage_message, title_string, o.ce.connect_retry_seconds,
             o.ce.connect_retry_seconds_max, o.ce.local_port, o.ce.remote_port, TUN_MTU_DEFAULT,
@@ -5979,7 +5974,7 @@
             struct options sub;
             struct connection_entry *e;
 
-            init_options(&sub, true);
+            init_options(&sub);
             sub.ce = options->ce;
             read_config_string("[CONNECTION-OPTIONS]", &sub, p[1], msglevel, OPT_P_CONNECTION,
                                option_types_found, es);
diff --git a/src/openvpn/options.h b/src/openvpn/options.h
index cf9936b..3d8b505 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/options.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/options.h
@@ -254,7 +254,6 @@
 struct options
 {
     struct gc_arena gc;
-    bool gc_owned;
 
     /* first config file */
     const char *config;
@@ -890,7 +889,7 @@
 
 void show_dco_version(const unsigned int flags);
 
-void init_options(struct options *o, const bool init_gc);
+void init_options(struct options *o);
 
 void uninit_options(struct options *o);
 
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/openvpn/test_options_parse.c b/tests/unit_tests/openvpn/test_options_parse.c
index bb34f01..0b3d7fe 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/openvpn/test_options_parse.c
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/openvpn/test_options_parse.c
@@ -248,7 +248,6 @@
     CLEAR(o); /* NB: avoiding init_options to limit dependencies */
     gc_init(&o.gc);
     gc_init(&o.dns_options.gc);
-    o.gc_owned = true;
 
     char *p_expect_someopt[MAX_PARMS];
     char *p_expect_otheropt[MAX_PARMS];