diff --git a/src/gui/gui-bar-item-custom.c b/src/gui/gui-bar-item-custom.c
index fac56ab40..8b86609b5 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui-bar-item-custom.c
+++ b/src/gui/gui-bar-item-custom.c
@@ -374,8 +374,7 @@ gui_bar_item_custom_alloc (const char *name)
 void
 gui_bar_item_custom_create_bar_item (struct t_gui_bar_item_custom *item)
 {
-    if (item->bar_item)
-        gui_bar_item_free (item->bar_item);
+    gui_bar_item_free (item->bar_item);
     item->bar_item = gui_bar_item_new (
         NULL,
         item->name,
diff --git a/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-bar-item.cpp b/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-bar-item.cpp
index 557026e86..3b350398a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-bar-item.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/gui/test-gui-bar-item.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ TEST(GuiBarItem, Update)
 
 TEST(GuiBarItem, Free)
 {
-    /* TODO: write tests */
+    /* test free of NULL bar item */
+    gui_bar_item_free (NULL);
 }
 
 /*