diff --git a/test/test_nr1.cc b/test/test_nr1.cc
index 21514fa..2972e29 100644
--- a/test/test_nr1.cc
+++ b/test/test_nr1.cc
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ namespace pEp {
         ~String()
         {
             if (_is_owner) {
-                _free();
+                _free(*_c_str_pp);
             }
         }
 
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ namespace pEp {
             }
 
             // DEALLOCATION
-            _free();
+            _free(*_c_str_pp);
 
             // ALLOCATION
             *_c_str_pp = _copy(str);
@@ -296,22 +296,17 @@ namespace pEp {
         static bool log_enabled;
 
     private:
-        // TODO: this is dodgy, do we really need _c_str_pp AND _c_str_p???
-        void _free()
+        static char* _copy(const std::string& str)
         {
-            pEpLogClass("called");
-            // if the c_str points to a different address now, than the one we created
-            if (*_c_str_pp != _c_str_p) {
-                // a new string has been created, and we need to free it as well
-                pEpLogClass("raw access string change detected");
-                pEp::free(*_c_str_pp);
-            } else {
-                // WE ASSUME THAT:
-                // if the char* has been replaced, it has been freed, as well
-                if (_c_str_p != nullptr) {
-                    pEp::free(_c_str_p);
-                }
-            }
+            char* ret = strdup(str.c_str());
+            pEpLog(CXX::Inspect::all(ret));
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        static void _free(char* ptr_type)
+        {
+            pEpLog(CXX::Inspect::all(ptr_type));
+            ::pEp_free(ptr_type);
         }
 
         bool _is_bound{ false };