diff --git a/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp b/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp
index ceecacdf5..ded89267d 100644
--- a/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkmemoryleak.cpp
@@ -1586,9 +1586,9 @@ void CheckMemoryLeakInFunction::simplifycode(Token *tok, bool &all)
             }
 
             // Reduce "alloc|dealloc|use|callfunc ; exit ;" => "; exit ;"
-            if (Token::Match(tok2, "alloc|dealloc|use|callfunc ; exit ;"))
+            if (Token::Match(tok2, "[;{}] alloc|dealloc|use|callfunc ; exit ;"))
             {
-                tok2->deleteThis();
+                tok2->deleteNext();
                 done = false;
             }
 
diff --git a/test/testmemleak.cpp b/test/testmemleak.cpp
index 2d8f3e41a..f42fa21f6 100644
--- a/test/testmemleak.cpp
+++ b/test/testmemleak.cpp
@@ -665,6 +665,9 @@ private:
         ASSERT_EQUALS("; alloc ; return ;", simplifycode(";alloc;if{return;}return;"));
         ASSERT_EQUALS("; alloc ; assign ; dealloc ;", simplifycode(";alloc;if{assign;}dealloc;"));
 
+        // if(var)
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("; alloc ; return use ;", simplifycode("; alloc ; return use ;"));
+
         // switch..
         ASSERT_EQUALS("; alloc ; dealloc ;", simplifycode(";alloc;switch{case;break;};dealloc;"));
         ASSERT_EQUALS("; if return ;", simplifycode("; switch { case ; return ; default ; break ; }"));