diff --git a/src/rtos/ChibiOS.c b/src/rtos/ChibiOS.c
index 2148e91d5..c54f43053 100644
--- a/src/rtos/ChibiOS.c
+++ b/src/rtos/ChibiOS.c
@@ -296,21 +296,8 @@ static int ChibiOS_update_threads(struct rtos *rtos)
 	}
 
 	/* wipe out previous thread details if any */
-	int j;
-	if (rtos->thread_details) {
-		for (j = 0; j < rtos->thread_count; j++) {
-			struct thread_detail *current_thread = &rtos->thread_details[j];
-			if (current_thread->display_str != NULL)
-				free(current_thread->display_str);
-			if (current_thread->thread_name_str != NULL)
-				free(current_thread->thread_name_str);
-			if (current_thread->extra_info_str != NULL)
-				free(current_thread->extra_info_str);
-		}
-		free(rtos->thread_details);
-		rtos->thread_details = NULL;
-		rtos->thread_count = 0;
-	}
+	rtos_free_threadlist(rtos);
+
 	/* ChibiOS does not save the current thread count. We have to first
 	 * parse the double linked thread list to check for errors and the number of
 	 * threads. */
diff --git a/src/rtos/FreeRTOS.c b/src/rtos/FreeRTOS.c
index 321b1e12c..598e2d662 100644
--- a/src/rtos/FreeRTOS.c
+++ b/src/rtos/FreeRTOS.c
@@ -173,25 +173,7 @@ static int FreeRTOS_update_threads(struct rtos *rtos)
 	}
 
 	/* wipe out previous thread details if any */
-	if (rtos->thread_details != NULL) {
-		int j;
-		for (j = 0; j < rtos->thread_count; j++) {
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].display_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].display_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].display_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str = NULL;
-			}
-		}
-		free(rtos->thread_details);
-		rtos->thread_details = NULL;
-	}
+	rtos_free_threadlist(rtos);
 
 	/* read the current thread */
 	retval = target_read_buffer(rtos->target,
diff --git a/src/rtos/ThreadX.c b/src/rtos/ThreadX.c
index 19dc46360..add34b4f4 100644
--- a/src/rtos/ThreadX.c
+++ b/src/rtos/ThreadX.c
@@ -155,25 +155,7 @@ static int ThreadX_update_threads(struct rtos *rtos)
 	}
 
 	/* wipe out previous thread details if any */
-	if (rtos->thread_details != NULL) {
-		int j;
-		for (j = 0; j < rtos->thread_count; j++) {
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].display_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].display_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].display_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str = NULL;
-			}
-		}
-		free(rtos->thread_details);
-		rtos->thread_details = NULL;
-	}
+	rtos_free_threadlist(rtos);
 
 	/* read the current thread id */
 	retval = target_read_buffer(rtos->target,
diff --git a/src/rtos/eCos.c b/src/rtos/eCos.c
index 9ab88dec0..7310d6d64 100644
--- a/src/rtos/eCos.c
+++ b/src/rtos/eCos.c
@@ -125,25 +125,7 @@ static int eCos_update_threads(struct rtos *rtos)
 	}
 
 	/* wipe out previous thread details if any */
-	if (rtos->thread_details != NULL) {
-		int j;
-		for (j = 0; j < rtos->thread_count; j++) {
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].display_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].display_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].display_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str = NULL;
-			}
-		}
-		free(rtos->thread_details);
-		rtos->thread_details = NULL;
-	}
+	rtos_free_threadlist(rtos);
 
 	/* determine the number of current threads */
 	uint32_t thread_list_head = rtos->symbols[eCos_VAL_thread_list].address;
diff --git a/src/rtos/embKernel.c b/src/rtos/embKernel.c
index f605deb3c..76c0bd23b 100644
--- a/src/rtos/embKernel.c
+++ b/src/rtos/embKernel.c
@@ -206,25 +206,7 @@ static int embKernel_update_threads(struct rtos *rtos)
 	}
 
 	/* wipe out previous thread details if any */
-	if (rtos->thread_details != NULL) {
-		int j;
-		for (j = 0; j < rtos->thread_count; j++) {
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].display_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].display_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].display_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].thread_name_str = NULL;
-			}
-			if (rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str != NULL) {
-				free(rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str);
-				rtos->thread_details[j].extra_info_str = NULL;
-			}
-		}
-		free(rtos->thread_details);
-		rtos->thread_details = NULL;
-	}
+	rtos_free_threadlist(rtos);
 
 	param = (const struct embKernel_params *) rtos->rtos_specific_params;
 
diff --git a/src/rtos/rtos.c b/src/rtos/rtos.c
index cdd37608e..0082ced1f 100644
--- a/src/rtos/rtos.c
+++ b/src/rtos/rtos.c
@@ -513,3 +513,20 @@ int rtos_update_threads(struct target *target)
 		target->rtos->type->update_threads(target->rtos);
 	return ERROR_OK;
 }
+
+void rtos_free_threadlist(struct rtos *rtos)
+{
+	if (rtos->thread_details) {
+		int j;
+
+		for (j = 0; j < rtos->thread_count; j++) {
+			struct thread_detail *current_thread = &rtos->thread_details[j];
+			free(current_thread->display_str);
+			free(current_thread->thread_name_str);
+			free(current_thread->extra_info_str);
+		}
+		free(rtos->thread_details);
+		rtos->thread_details = NULL;
+		rtos->thread_count = 0;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/rtos/rtos.h b/src/rtos/rtos.h
index 12a96d2ab..f8aa33f10 100644
--- a/src/rtos/rtos.h
+++ b/src/rtos/rtos.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ int rtos_try_next(struct target *target);
 int gdb_thread_packet(struct connection *connection, char *packet, int packet_size);
 int rtos_get_gdb_reg_list(struct connection *connection);
 int rtos_update_threads(struct target *target);
+void rtos_free_threadlist(struct rtos *rtos);
 int rtos_smp_init(struct target *target);
 /*  function for handling symbol access */
 int rtos_qsymbol(struct connection *connection, char *packet, int packet_size);