diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 1d9f7b2..81200c2 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@
 
 // === Functions
 
+/* @brief: frees the hash map.
+ * @return: always ERR_INPUT_PROCESSING.
+ */
+static int err_input(struct hash_map **vars)
+{
+    hash_map_free(vars);
+    return ERR_INPUT_PROCESSING;
+}
+
 static int main_loop(struct lexer_context *ctx, struct args_options *options,
                      struct hash_map *vars)
 {
@@ -49,7 +58,7 @@ static int main_loop(struct lexer_context *ctx, struct args_options *options,
     }
 
     if (command_ast == NULL)
-        return ERR_INPUT_PROCESSING;
+        return err_input(&vars);
 
     ast_free(&command_ast);
 
@@ -71,7 +80,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (return_code != 0)
     {
         print_usage(stderr, argv[0]);
-        return ERR_INPUT_PROCESSING;
+        return err_input(&vars);
     }
     // args_print(&options);
 
@@ -86,7 +95,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     {
         fprintf(stderr,
                 "Error: Failed to configure IO Backend from arguments\n");
-        return ERR_INPUT_PROCESSING;
+        return err_input(&vars);
     }
 
     // Init IO Backend (with the context struct)
@@ -96,10 +105,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         fprintf(stderr,
                 "Error: IO Backend initialization failed with code %d\n",
                 return_code);
-        return ERR_INPUT_PROCESSING;
+        return err_input(&vars);
     }
 
-
     // init lexer context
     struct lexer_context ctx = { 0 };