diff --git a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
--- a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
@@ -442,8 +442,7 @@
 static int	skip_message(const char *, const char *, int);
 static int	evaluate_prop_filter(const struct prop_filter *filter,
     const char *value);
-static int	prop_filter_compile(struct prop_filter *pfilter,
-    char *filterstr);
+static struct prop_filter *prop_filter_compile(char *);
 static void	parsemsg(const char *, char *);
 static void	printsys(char *);
 static int	p_open(const char *, pid_t *);
@@ -2789,17 +2788,25 @@
 
 /*
  * Compile property-based filter.
- * Returns 0 on success, -1 otherwise.
  */
-static int
-prop_filter_compile(struct prop_filter *pfilter, char *filter)
+static struct prop_filter *
+prop_filter_compile(char *filter)
 {
+	struct prop_filter *pfilter;
 	char *filter_endpos, *p;
 	char **ap, *argv[2] = {NULL, NULL};
 	int re_flags = REG_NOSUB;
 	int escaped;
 
-	bzero(pfilter, sizeof(struct prop_filter));
+	pfilter = calloc(1, sizeof(*pfilter));
+	if (pfilter == NULL) {
+		logerror("pfilter calloc");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+	if (*filter == '*') {
+		pfilter->prop_type = FILT_PROP_NOOP;
+		return (pfilter);
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Here's some filter examples mentioned in syslog.conf(5)
@@ -2820,7 +2827,8 @@
 
 	if (argv[0] == NULL || argv[1] == NULL) {
 		logerror("filter parse error");
-		return (-1);
+		free(pfilter);
+		return (NULL);
 	}
 
 	/* fill in prop_type */
@@ -2834,7 +2842,8 @@
 		pfilter->prop_type = FILT_PROP_PROGNAME;
 	else {
 		logerror("unknown property");
-		return (-1);
+		free(pfilter);
+		return (NULL);
 	}
 
 	/* full in cmp_flags (i.e. !contains, icase_regex, etc.) */
@@ -2861,7 +2870,8 @@
 		re_flags |= REG_EXTENDED;
 	} else {
 		logerror("unknown cmp function");
-		return (-1);
+		free(pfilter);
+		return (NULL);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -2873,7 +2883,8 @@
 	filter += strspn(filter, ", \t\n");
 	if (*filter != '"' || strlen(filter) < 3) {
 		logerror("property value parse error");
-		return (-1);
+		free(pfilter);
+		return (NULL);
 	}
 	filter++;
 
@@ -2905,30 +2916,32 @@
 	/* We should not have anything but whitespace left after closing '"' */
 	if (*p != '\0' && strspn(p, " \t\n") != strlen(p)) {
 		logerror("property value parse error");
-		return (-1);
+		free(pfilter);
+		return (NULL);
 	}
 
 	if (pfilter->cmp_type == FILT_CMP_REGEX) {
 		pfilter->pflt_re = calloc(1, sizeof(*pfilter->pflt_re));
 		if (pfilter->pflt_re == NULL) {
 			logerror("RE calloc() error");
+			free(pfilter);
 			free(pfilter->pflt_re);
-			return (-1);
+			return (NULL);
 		}
 		if (pfilter->cmp_flags & FILT_FLAG_ICASE)
 			re_flags |= REG_ICASE;
 		if (regcomp(pfilter->pflt_re, filter, re_flags) != 0) {
 			logerror("RE compilation error");
+			free(pfilter);
 			free(pfilter->pflt_re);
-			return (-1);
+			return (NULL);
 		}
 	} else {
 		pfilter->pflt_strval = strdup(filter);
 		pfilter->pflt_strlen = strlen(filter);
 	}
 
-	return (0);
-
+	return (pfilter);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -2990,23 +3003,15 @@
 	}
 
 	if (pfilter) {
-		f->f_prop_filter = calloc(1, sizeof(*(f->f_prop_filter)));
-		if (f->f_prop_filter == NULL) {
-			logerror("pfilter calloc");
+		pfilter_dup = strdup(pfilter);
+		if (pfilter_dup == NULL) {
+			logerror("strdup");
 			exit(1);
 		}
-		if (*pfilter == '*')
-			f->f_prop_filter->prop_type = FILT_PROP_NOOP;
-		else {
-			pfilter_dup = strdup(pfilter);
-			if (pfilter_dup == NULL) {
-				logerror("strdup");
-				exit(1);
-			}
-			if (prop_filter_compile(f->f_prop_filter, pfilter_dup)) {
-				logerror("filter compile error");
-				exit(1);
-			}
+		f->f_prop_filter = prop_filter_compile(pfilter_dup);
+		if (f->f_prop_filter == NULL) {
+			logerror("filter compile error");
+			exit(1);
 		}
 	}