diff --git a/glib/gkeyfile.c b/glib/gkeyfile.c
index 9a4821bc5..c000ed2fe 100644
--- a/glib/gkeyfile.c
+++ b/glib/gkeyfile.c
@@ -4287,8 +4287,11 @@ g_key_file_parse_value_as_string (GKeyFile     *key_file,
 				  GError      **error)
 {
   gchar *string_value, *q0, *q;
+  GSList *tmp_pieces = NULL;
   const gchar *p;
 
+  g_assert (pieces == NULL || *pieces == NULL);
+
   string_value = g_new (gchar, strlen (value) + 1);
 
   p = value;
@@ -4326,7 +4329,7 @@ g_key_file_parse_value_as_string (GKeyFile     *key_file,
                                    G_KEY_FILE_ERROR_INVALID_VALUE,
                                    _("Key file contains escape character "
                                      "at end of line"));
-	      break;
+              goto error;
 
             default:
 	      if (pieces && *p == key_file->list_separator)
@@ -4348,20 +4351,21 @@ g_key_file_parse_value_as_string (GKeyFile     *key_file,
 				   G_KEY_FILE_ERROR_INVALID_VALUE,
 				   _("Key file contains invalid escape "
 				     "sequence “%s”"), sequence);
-		    }
-		}
+                      goto error;
+                    }
+                }
               break;
             }
         }
       else
-	{
-	  *q = *p;
-	  if (pieces && (*p == key_file->list_separator))
-	    {
-	      *pieces = g_slist_prepend (*pieces, g_strndup (q0, q - q0));
-	      q0 = q + 1; 
-	    }
-	}
+        {
+          *q = *p;
+          if (pieces && (*p == key_file->list_separator))
+            {
+              tmp_pieces = g_slist_prepend (tmp_pieces, g_strndup (q0, q - q0));
+              q0 = q + 1;
+            }
+        }
 
       if (*p == '\0')
 	break;
@@ -4372,13 +4376,19 @@ g_key_file_parse_value_as_string (GKeyFile     *key_file,
 
   *q = '\0';
   if (pieces)
-  {
-    if (q0 < q)
-      *pieces = g_slist_prepend (*pieces, g_strndup (q0, q - q0));
-    *pieces = g_slist_reverse (*pieces);
-  }
+    {
+      if (q0 < q)
+        tmp_pieces = g_slist_prepend (tmp_pieces, g_strndup (q0, q - q0));
+      *pieces = g_slist_reverse (tmp_pieces);
+    }
 
   return string_value;
+
+error:
+  g_free (string_value);
+  g_slist_free_full (tmp_pieces, g_free);
+
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 static gchar *
diff --git a/glib/tests/keyfile.c b/glib/tests/keyfile.c
index 3d72d9670..113b4f208 100644
--- a/glib/tests/keyfile.c
+++ b/glib/tests/keyfile.c
@@ -535,16 +535,17 @@ test_string (void)
     "3",
   };
   const gchar *data =
-    "[valid]\n"
-    "key1=\\s\\n\\t\\r\\\\\n"
-    "key2=\"quoted\"\n"
-    "key3='quoted'\n"
-    "key4=\xe2\x89\xa0\xe2\x89\xa0\n"
-    "key5=  leading space\n"
-    "key6=trailing space  \n"
-    "[invalid]\n"
-    "key1=\\a\\b\\0800xff\n"
-    "key2=blabla\\\n";
+      "[valid]\n"
+      "key1=\\s\\n\\t\\r\\\\\n"
+      "key2=\"quoted\"\n"
+      "key3='quoted'\n"
+      "key4=\xe2\x89\xa0\xe2\x89\xa0\n"
+      "key5=  leading space\n"
+      "key6=trailing space  \n"
+      "[invalid]\n"
+      "key1=\\a\\b\\0800xff\n"
+      "key2=blabla\\\n"
+      "key3=foo\\i\\\n";
 
   keyfile = load_data (data, 0);
 
@@ -563,6 +564,10 @@ test_string (void)
   check_error (&error, G_KEY_FILE_ERROR, G_KEY_FILE_ERROR_INVALID_VALUE);
   g_free (value);
 
+  value = g_key_file_get_string (keyfile, "invalid", "key3", &error);
+  check_error (&error, G_KEY_FILE_ERROR, G_KEY_FILE_ERROR_INVALID_VALUE);
+  g_free (value);
+
   g_key_file_set_string (keyfile, "inserted", "key1", "simple");
   g_key_file_set_string (keyfile, "inserted", "key2", " leading space");
   g_key_file_set_string (keyfile, "inserted", "key3", "\tleading tab");