diff --git a/connect.c b/connect.c
index 746dd27a18..c81f77001b 100644
--- a/connect.c
+++ b/connect.c
@@ -794,14 +794,13 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 
 			ssh = get_ssh_command();
 			if (ssh) {
-				char* split_ssh;
-				const char** ssh_argv;
+				char *split_ssh = xstrdup(ssh);
+				const char **ssh_argv;
 
-				split_ssh = xstrdup(ssh);
-				if (split_cmdline(split_ssh, &ssh_argv) >= 1) {
+				if (split_cmdline(split_ssh, &ssh_argv))
 					ssh_argv0 = xstrdup(ssh_argv[0]);
-				}
 				free(split_ssh);
+				free((void *)ssh_argv);
 			} else {
 				/*
 				 * GIT_SSH is the no-shell version of
@@ -818,9 +817,7 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 			}
 
 			if (ssh_argv0) {
-				const char *base;
-
-				base = basename(ssh_argv0);
+				const char *base = basename(ssh_argv0);
 
 				tortoiseplink = !strcasecmp(base, "tortoiseplink") ||
 					!strcasecmp(base, "tortoiseplink.exe");
diff --git a/t/t5601-clone.sh b/t/t5601-clone.sh
index ff6bb9f643..5b228e2675 100755
--- a/t/t5601-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t5601-clone.sh
@@ -386,15 +386,18 @@ test_expect_success 'tortoiseplink is like putty, with extra arguments' '
 	expect_ssh "-batch -P 123" myhost src
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'double quoted plink.exe is treated specially (as putty) in GIT_SSH_COMMAND' '
+test_expect_success 'double quoted plink.exe in GIT_SSH_COMMAND' '
 	copy_ssh_wrapper_as "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe" &&
-	GIT_SSH_COMMAND="\"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe\" -v" git clone "[myhost:123]:src" ssh-bracket-clone-plink-3 &&
+	GIT_SSH_COMMAND="\"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe\" -v" \
+		git clone "[myhost:123]:src" ssh-bracket-clone-plink-3 &&
 	expect_ssh "-v -P 123" myhost src
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'single quoted plink.exe is treated specially (as putty) in GIT_SSH_COMMAND' '
+SQ="'"
+test_expect_success 'single quoted plink.exe in GIT_SSH_COMMAND' '
 	copy_ssh_wrapper_as "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe" &&
-	GIT_SSH_COMMAND="'"'"'$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe'"'"' -v" git clone "[myhost:123]:src" ssh-bracket-clone-plink-4 &&
+	GIT_SSH_COMMAND="$SQ$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe$SQ -v" \
+		git clone "[myhost:123]:src" ssh-bracket-clone-plink-4 &&
 	expect_ssh "-v -P 123" myhost src
 '