diff --git a/crypto/err/err.c b/crypto/err/err.c
index fe91ca7b5d..e5f9866813 100644
--- a/crypto/err/err.c
+++ b/crypto/err/err.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static void ERR_STATE_free(ERR_STATE *s)
     if (s == NULL)
         return;
     for (i = 0; i < ERR_NUM_ERRORS; i++) {
-        err_clear_data(s, i, 1);
+        err_clear(s, i, 1);
     }
     OPENSSL_free(s);
 }
diff --git a/crypto/err/err_local.h b/crypto/err/err_local.h
index 03e05b7a1c..abb6996e13 100644
--- a/crypto/err/err_local.h
+++ b/crypto/err/err_local.h
@@ -48,9 +48,21 @@ static ossl_inline void err_set_debug(ERR_STATE *es, size_t i,
                                       const char *file, int line,
                                       const char *fn)
 {
-    es->err_file[i] = file;
+    /*
+     * We dup the file and fn strings because they may be provider owned. If the
+     * provider gets unloaded, they may not be valid anymore.
+     */
+    OPENSSL_free(es->err_file[i]);
+    if (file == NULL || file[0] == '\0')
+        es->err_file[i] = NULL;
+    else
+        es->err_file[i] = OPENSSL_strdup(file);
     es->err_line[i] = line;
-    es->err_func[i] = fn;
+    OPENSSL_free(es->err_func[i]);
+    if (fn == NULL || fn[0] == '\0')
+        es->err_func[i] = NULL;
+    else
+        es->err_func[i] = OPENSSL_strdup(fn);
 }
 
 static ossl_inline void err_set_data(ERR_STATE *es, size_t i,
@@ -67,8 +79,11 @@ static ossl_inline void err_clear(ERR_STATE *es, size_t i, int deall)
     es->err_marks[i] = 0;
     es->err_flags[i] = 0;
     es->err_buffer[i] = 0;
-    es->err_file[i] = NULL;
     es->err_line[i] = -1;
+    OPENSSL_free(es->err_file[i]);
+    es->err_file[i] = NULL;
+    OPENSSL_free(es->err_func[i]);
+    es->err_func[i] = NULL;
 }
 
 ERR_STATE *err_get_state_int(void);
diff --git a/include/openssl/err.h.in b/include/openssl/err.h.in
index c012f65d08..f7d5c174a1 100644
--- a/include/openssl/err.h.in
+++ b/include/openssl/err.h.in
@@ -62,9 +62,9 @@ struct err_state_st {
     char *err_data[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
     size_t err_data_size[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
     int err_data_flags[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
-    const char *err_file[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
+    char *err_file[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
     int err_line[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
-    const char *err_func[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
+    char *err_func[ERR_NUM_ERRORS];
     int top, bottom;
 };
 # endif