diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 4abb2b33..5c3c4f5e 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ NEWS
   * [network/ssl] fix build error if TLSEXT is disabled
   * [mod_fastcgi] fix use after free (only triggered if fastcgi debug is active)
   * [mod_rrdtool] fix invalid read (string not null terminated)
+  * [mod_dirlisting] fix memory leak if pcre fails
 
 - 1.4.34
   * [mod_auth] explicitly link ssl for SHA1 (fixes #2517)
diff --git a/src/mod_dirlisting.c b/src/mod_dirlisting.c
index 8380c05d..327106dc 100644
--- a/src/mod_dirlisting.c
+++ b/src/mod_dirlisting.c
@@ -730,7 +730,11 @@ static int http_list_directory(server *srv, connection *con, plugin_data *p, buf
 					log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "sd",
 						"execution error while matching:", n);
 
-					return -1;
+					/* aborting would require a lot of manual cleanup here.
+					 * skip instead (to not leak names that break pcre matching)
+					 */
+					exclude_match = 1;
+					break;
 				}
 			}
 			else {