diff --git a/changes/bug4383 b/changes/bug4383
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e618b8c8fbeca2a04734d4f71a9b4c67c71f4192
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug4383
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+  o Minor bugfixes:
+    - Fix a memleak in launch_direct_bridge_descriptor_fetch() that
+      occured when a client tried to fetch a descriptor for a bridge
+      in ExcludeNodes. Fixes #4383; bugfix on 0.2.2.25-alpha.
+
diff --git a/src/or/circuitbuild.c b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
index c864fd2497980ff8308485481cf73f1d27e9393f..72ec9e4880a9c9e16cc7e5c27d86e82114a94f9a 100644
--- a/src/or/circuitbuild.c
+++ b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
@@ -4670,7 +4670,6 @@ launch_direct_bridge_descriptor_fetch(bridge_info_t *bridge)
       DIR_PURPOSE_FETCH_SERVERDESC))
     return; /* it's already on the way */
 
-  address = tor_dup_addr(&bridge->addr);
   if (routerset_contains_bridge(options->ExcludeNodes, bridge)) {
     download_status_mark_impossible(&bridge->fetch_status);
     log_warn(LD_APP, "Not using bridge at %s: it is in ExcludeNodes.",
@@ -4678,6 +4677,8 @@ launch_direct_bridge_descriptor_fetch(bridge_info_t *bridge)
     return;
   }
 
+  address = tor_dup_addr(&bridge->addr);
+
   directory_initiate_command(address, &bridge->addr,
                              bridge->port, 0,
                              0, /* does not matter */