diff --git a/src/parser/grammar_basic.c b/src/parser/grammar_basic.c
index dcd6b31..df103fc 100644
--- a/src/parser/grammar_basic.c
+++ b/src/parser/grammar_basic.c
@@ -304,13 +304,12 @@ struct ast *parse_simple_command(struct lexer_context *ctx)
         // Get element type
         if (ast_is_word(element))
         {
+            // Extract word
             struct ast_word *element_word = ast_get_word(element);
-
-            // TODO test this fix for the memory leaks
-            char *word = strdup(element_word->word);
+            char *word = element_word->word;
+            element_word->word = NULL; // Prevents word to be freed
             ast_free(&element);
             command_elements = list_append(command_elements, word);
-            // end of fix
         }
         else if (ast_is_redir(element))
         {
@@ -344,20 +343,11 @@ struct ast *parse_element(struct lexer_context *ctx)
     {
         POP_TOKEN();
 
-        char *word = strdup(token->data);
-        if (word == NULL)
-        {
-            perror("Internal error: could not copy token data (is your memory "
-                   "full ?)");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-
-        struct ast *result = ast_create_word(word);
+        struct ast *result = ast_create_word(token->data);
         if (result == NULL)
         {
             perror("Internal error: could not create ast node (is your memory "
                    "full ?)");
-            free(word);
             return NULL;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/ast/ast_word.c b/src/utils/ast/ast_word.c
index 6870c50..d83489c 100644
--- a/src/utils/ast/ast_word.c
+++ b/src/utils/ast/ast_word.c
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 #include "ast_word.h"
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -43,6 +42,8 @@ void ast_free_word(struct ast_word *ast_node)
     if (ast_node == NULL)
         return;
 
-    free(ast_node->word);
+    if (ast_node->word != NULL)
+        free(ast_node->word);
+
     free(ast_node);
 }