diff --git a/include/haproxy/action.h b/include/haproxy/action.h
index 5d751ac42..eed440d8e 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/action.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/action.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ struct dns_counters;
 int act_resolution_cb(struct resolv_requester *requester, struct dns_counters *counters);
 int act_resolution_error_cb(struct resolv_requester *requester, int error_code);
 const char *action_suggest(const char *word, const struct list *keywords, const char **extra);
+void free_act_rule(struct act_rule *rule);
 
 static inline struct action_kw *action_lookup(struct list *keywords, const char *kw)
 {
diff --git a/src/action.c b/src/action.c
index 1de97692e..d4aecc8c0 100644
--- a/src/action.c
+++ b/src/action.c
@@ -301,16 +301,22 @@ struct act_rule *new_act_rule(enum act_from from, const char *file, int linenum)
 	return rule;
 }
 
+/* fees rule <rule> and its elements as well as the condition */
+void free_act_rule(struct act_rule *rule)
+{
+	LIST_DELETE(&rule->list);
+	free_acl_cond(rule->cond);
+	if (rule->release_ptr)
+		rule->release_ptr(rule);
+	free(rule->conf.file);
+	free(rule);
+}
+
 void free_act_rules(struct list *rules)
 {
 	struct act_rule *rule, *ruleb;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(rule, ruleb, rules, list) {
-		LIST_DELETE(&rule->list);
-		free_acl_cond(rule->cond);
-		if (rule->release_ptr)
-			rule->release_ptr(rule);
-		free(rule->conf.file);
-		free(rule);
+		free_act_rule(rule);
 	}
 }