diff --git a/include/tt.h b/include/tt.h
index 603844f66..0a16c2075 100644
--- a/include/tt.h
+++ b/include/tt.h
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ enum {
 	TT_FL_TREE        = (1 << 6),	/* use tree "ascii art" */
 	TT_FL_RIGHT	  = (1 << 7),	/* align to the right */
 	TT_FL_STRICTWIDTH = (1 << 8),	/* don't reduce width if column is empty */
-	TT_FL_NOEXTREMES  = (1 << 9)    /* ignore extreme fields when count column width*/
+	TT_FL_NOEXTREMES  = (1 << 9),   /* ignore extreme fields when count column width*/
+
+	TT_FL_FREEDATA	  = (1 << 10),	/* free() data in tt_free_table() */
 };
 
 struct tt {
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ struct tt_column {
 
 struct tt_line {
 	struct tt	*table;
-	char const	**data;
+	char		**data;
 	void		*userdata;
 	size_t		data_sz;		/* strlen of all data */
 
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@ extern struct tt_column *tt_get_column(struct tt *tb, size_t colnum);
 
 extern struct tt_line *tt_add_line(struct tt *tb, struct tt_line *parent);
 
-extern int tt_line_set_data(struct tt_line *ln, int colnum, const char *data);
+extern int tt_line_set_data(struct tt_line *ln, int colnum, char *data);
 extern int tt_line_set_userdata(struct tt_line *ln, void *data);
 
 extern void tt_fputs_quoted(const char *data, FILE *out);
diff --git a/lib/tt.c b/lib/tt.c
index cbe4e3b4d..e701becfd 100644
--- a/lib/tt.c
+++ b/lib/tt.c
@@ -221,9 +221,17 @@ void tt_remove_lines(struct tt *tb)
 		return;
 
 	while (!list_empty(&tb->tb_lines)) {
+		struct list_head *p;
 		struct tt_line *ln = list_entry(tb->tb_lines.next,
 						struct tt_line, ln_lines);
 		list_del(&ln->ln_lines);
+
+		list_for_each(p, &tb->tb_columns) {
+			struct tt_column *cl =
+				list_entry(p, struct tt_column, cl_columns);
+			if ((cl->flags & TT_FL_FREEDATA) || (tb->flags & TT_FL_FREEDATA))
+				free(ln->data[cl->seqnum]);
+		}
 		free(ln->data);
 		free(ln);
 	}
@@ -360,7 +368,7 @@ struct tt_column *tt_get_column(struct tt *tb, size_t colnum)
  *
  * Stores data that will be printed to the table cell.
  */
-int tt_line_set_data(struct tt_line *ln, int colnum, const char *data)
+int tt_line_set_data(struct tt_line *ln, int colnum, char *data)
 {
 	struct tt_column *cl;