diff --git a/services/audiopolicy/service/AudioPolicyEffects.cpp b/services/audiopolicy/service/AudioPolicyEffects.cpp
index c7dfe0f..4a1cab4 100644
--- a/services/audiopolicy/service/AudioPolicyEffects.cpp
+++ b/services/audiopolicy/service/AudioPolicyEffects.cpp
@@ -460,12 +460,13 @@
         len = strnlen(node->value, EFFECT_STRING_LEN_MAX);
         if (*curSize + len + 1 > *totSize) {
             *totSize = *curSize + len + 1;
-            *param = (char *)realloc(*param, *totSize);
-            if (*param == NULL) {
+            char *newParam = (char *)realloc(*param, *totSize);
+            if (newParam == NULL) {
                 len = 0;
                 ALOGE("%s realloc error for string len %zu", __func__, *totSize);
                 goto exit;
             }
+            *param = newParam;
         }
         strncpy(*param + *curSize, node->value, len);
         *curSize += len;