diff --git a/src/kernel/order.c b/src/kernel/order.c
index 00d2a838d..f79b2dd68 100644
--- a/src/kernel/order.c
+++ b/src/kernel/order.c
@@ -255,22 +255,27 @@ static order_data *create_data(keyword_t kwd, const char *sptr, int lindex)
     return data;
 }
 
-static void free_localedata(int lindex) {
+static void clear_localedata(int lindex) {
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i != MAXKEYWORDS; ++i) {
         release_data(locale_array[lindex]->short_orders[i]);
+        locale_array[lindex]->short_orders[i] = 0;
     }
     for (i = 0; i != MAXSKILLS; ++i) {
         release_data(locale_array[lindex]->study_orders[i]);
+        locale_array[lindex]->study_orders[i] = 0;
     }
-    free(locale_array[lindex]);
-    locale_array[lindex] = 0;
+    locale_array[lindex]->lang = 0;
 }
 
 void close_orders(void) {
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i != MAXLOCALES; ++i) {
-        if (locale_array[i]) free_localedata(i);
+        if (locale_array[i]){
+            clear_localedata(i);
+            free(locale_array[i]);
+            locale_array[i] = 0;
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -302,7 +307,7 @@ static order *create_order_i(keyword_t kwd, const char *sptr, bool persistent,
         locale_array[lindex] = (locale_data *)calloc(1, sizeof(locale_data));
     }
     else if (locale_array[lindex]->lang != lang) {
-        free_localedata(lindex);
+        clear_localedata(lindex);
     }
     locale_array[lindex]->lang = lang;