diff --git a/toys/posix/cp.c b/toys/posix/cp.c
index bba548099a119339318e9ae5a0e377780c4ee4bb..06081471159bf4cb1d5e4da7715843109839f9c3 100644
--- a/toys/posix/cp.c
+++ b/toys/posix/cp.c
@@ -410,11 +410,10 @@ void cp_main(void)
     }
 
     if (destdir) {
-      char *s = FLAG(D) ? getdirname(src) : getbasename(src);
+      char *s = FLAG(D) ? src : getbasename(src);
 
       TT.destname = xmprintf("%s/%s", destname, s);
       if (FLAG(D)) {
-        free(s);
         if (!(s = fileunderdir(TT.destname, destname))) {
           error_msg("%s not under %s", TT.destname, destname);
           continue;