diff --git a/src/journal/journalctl.c b/src/journal/journalctl.c
index 046b48184a..6ee49a6913 100644
--- a/src/journal/journalctl.c
+++ b/src/journal/journalctl.c
@@ -58,13 +58,14 @@
 #include "parse-argument.h"
 #include "parse-util.h"
 #include "path-util.h"
-#include "pcre2-dlopen.h"
+#include "pcre2-util.h"
 #include "pretty-print.h"
 #include "qrcode-util.h"
 #include "random-util.h"
 #include "rlimit-util.h"
 #include "set.h"
 #include "sigbus.h"
+#include "static-destruct.h"
 #include "stdio-util.h"
 #include "string-table.h"
 #include "strv.h"
@@ -138,6 +139,19 @@ static pcre2_code *arg_compiled_pattern = NULL;
 static int arg_case_sensitive = -1; /* -1 means be smart */
 #endif
 
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_file, strv_freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_facilities, set_freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_verify_key, freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_syslog_identifier, strv_freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_system_units, strv_freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_user_units, strv_freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_root, freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_image, freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_output_fields, strv_freep);
+#if HAVE_PCRE2
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_compiled_pattern, sym_pcre2_code_freep);
+#endif
+
 static enum {
         ACTION_SHOW,
         ACTION_NEW_ID128,
@@ -167,9 +181,6 @@ typedef struct BootId {
 } BootId;
 
 #if HAVE_PCRE2
-DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC_FULL(pcre2_match_data*, sym_pcre2_match_data_free, NULL);
-DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC_FULL(pcre2_code*, sym_pcre2_code_free, NULL);
-
 static int pattern_compile(const char *pattern, unsigned flags, pcre2_code **out) {
         int errorcode, r;
         PCRE2_SIZE erroroffset;
@@ -2817,28 +2828,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 finish:
         pager_close();
 
-        strv_free(arg_file);
-
-        set_free(arg_facilities);
-        strv_free(arg_syslog_identifier);
-        strv_free(arg_system_units);
-        strv_free(arg_user_units);
-        strv_free(arg_output_fields);
-
-        free(arg_root);
-        free(arg_verify_key);
-
 #if HAVE_PCRE2
-        if (arg_compiled_pattern) {
-                sym_pcre2_code_free(arg_compiled_pattern);
-
+        if (arg_compiled_pattern && r == 0 && n_shown == 0)
                 /* --grep was used, no error was thrown, but the pattern didn't
                  * match anything. Let's mimic grep's behavior here and return
                  * a non-zero exit code, so journalctl --grep can be used
                  * in scripts and such */
-                if (r == 0 && n_shown == 0)
-                        r = -ENOENT;
-        }
+                r = -ENOENT;
 #endif
 
         return r < 0 ? EXIT_FAILURE : EXIT_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/src/shared/meson.build b/src/shared/meson.build
index 6dc8566d58..72457d3da3 100644
--- a/src/shared/meson.build
+++ b/src/shared/meson.build
@@ -247,8 +247,8 @@ shared_sources = files(
         'parse-argument.h',
         'parse-helpers.c',
         'parse-helpers.h',
-        'pcre2-dlopen.c',
-        'pcre2-dlopen.h',
+        'pcre2-util.c',
+        'pcre2-util.h',
         'pe-header.h',
         'pkcs11-util.c',
         'pkcs11-util.h',
diff --git a/src/shared/pcre2-dlopen.c b/src/shared/pcre2-util.c
similarity index 98%
rename from src/shared/pcre2-dlopen.c
rename to src/shared/pcre2-util.c
index 475d7eb26d..80f6cec342 100644
--- a/src/shared/pcre2-dlopen.c
+++ b/src/shared/pcre2-util.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "dlfcn-util.h"
 #include "log.h"
-#include "pcre2-dlopen.h"
+#include "pcre2-util.h"
 
 #if HAVE_PCRE2
 static void *pcre2_dl = NULL;
diff --git a/src/shared/pcre2-dlopen.h b/src/shared/pcre2-util.h
similarity index 81%
rename from src/shared/pcre2-dlopen.h
rename to src/shared/pcre2-util.h
index 1306334144..f17dcd5573 100644
--- a/src/shared/pcre2-dlopen.h
+++ b/src/shared/pcre2-util.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
 #pragma once
 
+#include "macro.h"
+
 #if HAVE_PCRE2
 
 #define PCRE2_CODE_UNIT_WIDTH 8
@@ -13,6 +15,9 @@ extern pcre2_code* (*sym_pcre2_compile)(PCRE2_SPTR, PCRE2_SIZE, uint32_t, int *,
 extern int (*sym_pcre2_get_error_message)(int, PCRE2_UCHAR *, PCRE2_SIZE);
 extern int (*sym_pcre2_match)(const pcre2_code *, PCRE2_SPTR, PCRE2_SIZE, PCRE2_SIZE, uint32_t, pcre2_match_data *, pcre2_match_context *);
 extern PCRE2_SIZE* (*sym_pcre2_get_ovector_pointer)(pcre2_match_data *);
+
+DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC_FULL(pcre2_match_data*, sym_pcre2_match_data_free, NULL);
+DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC_FULL(pcre2_code*, sym_pcre2_code_free, NULL);
 #endif
 
 int dlopen_pcre2(void);
diff --git a/src/test/test-dlopen-so.c b/src/test/test-dlopen-so.c
index 002f666ed8..85dbb81e43 100644
--- a/src/test/test-dlopen-so.c
+++ b/src/test/test-dlopen-so.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include "libfido2-util.h"
 #include "macro.h"
 #include "main-func.h"
-#include "pcre2-dlopen.h"
+#include "pcre2-util.h"
 #include "pwquality-util.h"
 #include "qrcode-util.h"
 #include "tests.h"