diff --git a/mxml.c b/mxml.c
index 68a7cc5..54a8138 100755
--- a/mxml.c
+++ b/mxml.c
@@ -1431,11 +1431,11 @@ PMXML_NODE mxml_parse_entity(char **buf, char *error, int error_size)
    if (buffer == NULL) {
       return read_error(HERE, "Cannot allocate memory.");
    }
+   strcpy(buffer, *buf);
+   free(*buf);
 
    p = buffer;
 
-   strcpy(buffer, *buf);
-   free(*buf);
 
    /* search !ENTITY */
    do {
@@ -1805,6 +1805,7 @@ PMXML_NODE mxml_parse_entity(char **buf, char *error, int error_size)
       }
       *pv++ = *p++;
    } while (*p);
+   *pv = 0;
 
    free(buffer);
    for (ip = 0; ip < MXML_MAX_ENTITY; ip++)