diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-udev.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-udev.c
index 2957f304d..e06801c87 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-udev.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-udev.c
@@ -320,7 +320,6 @@ static bool is_usb_interface_dir(const char *name)
 static char *check_wireless_status_at_path(struct impl *this, const char *path)
 {
 	char wireless_path[PATH_MAX];
-	char *result;
 	int res;
 
 	res = spa_scnprintf(wireless_path, sizeof(wireless_path),
@@ -331,10 +330,7 @@ static char *check_wireless_status_at_path(struct impl *this, const char *path)
 	if (access(wireless_path, R_OK) < 0)
 		return NULL;
 
-	result = strdup(wireless_path);
-	if (!result)
-		spa_log_error(this->log, "failed to allocate wireless_status path");
-	return result;
+	return strdup(wireless_path);
 }
 
 static char *search_siblings_for_wireless_status(struct impl *this, const char *parent_path)
@@ -424,8 +420,7 @@ static void update_wireless_status(struct impl *this, struct card *card)
 	if (status == WIRELESS_STATUS_UNKNOWN) {
 		spa_log_info(this->log, "card %u wireless_status unreadable, removing monitor",
 			     card->card_nr);
-		free(card->wireless_status_path);
-		card->wireless_status_path = NULL;
+		spa_clear_ptr(card->wireless_status_path, free);
 		card->wireless_disconnected = false;
 		return;
 	}
@@ -1093,8 +1088,7 @@ static struct card *find_card_by_wireless_status_path(struct impl *this, const c
 		return NULL;
 
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < this->n_cards; i++) {
-		if (this->cards[i].wireless_status_path &&
-		    spa_streq(this->cards[i].wireless_status_path, wireless_path))
+		if (spa_streq(this->cards[i].wireless_status_path, wireless_path))
 			return &this->cards[i];
 	}
 	return NULL;