diff --git a/src/cares_wrap.cc b/src/cares_wrap.cc
index 1a83a1cf7adf09..d9f6485edfb507 100644
--- a/src/cares_wrap.cc
+++ b/src/cares_wrap.cc
@@ -1061,118 +1061,117 @@ int ParseSoaReply(Environment* env,
   EscapableHandleScope handle_scope(env->isolate());
   auto context = env->context();
 
-  /* Can't use ares_parse_soa_reply() here which can only parse single record */
-  unsigned int ancount = cares_get_16bit(buf + 6);
+  // Manage memory using standardard smart pointer std::unique_tr
+  struct AresDeleter {
+    void operator()(char* ptr) const noexcept { ares_free_string(ptr); }
+  };
+  using ares_unique_ptr = std::unique_ptr<char[], AresDeleter>;
+
+  // Can't use ares_parse_soa_reply() here which can only parse single record
+  const unsigned int ancount = cares_get_16bit(buf + 6);
   unsigned char* ptr = buf + NS_HFIXEDSZ;
-  char* name;
-  char* rr_name;
+  char* name_temp;
   long temp_len;  // NOLINT(runtime/int)
-  int status = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len, &name, &temp_len);
+  int status = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len, &name_temp, &temp_len);
+  const ares_unique_ptr name(name_temp);
   if (status != ARES_SUCCESS) {
-    /* returns EBADRESP in case of invalid input */
+    // returns EBADRESP in case of invalid input
     return status == ARES_EBADNAME ? ARES_EBADRESP : status;
   }
 
   if (ptr + temp_len + NS_QFIXEDSZ > buf + len) {
-    free(name);
     return ARES_EBADRESP;
   }
   ptr += temp_len + NS_QFIXEDSZ;
 
   for (unsigned int i = 0; i < ancount; i++) {
-    status = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len, &rr_name, &temp_len);
+    char* rr_name_temp;
+    long rr_temp_len;  // NOLINT(runtime/int)
+    int status2 = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len, &rr_name_temp, &rr_temp_len);
+    const ares_unique_ptr rr_name(rr_name_temp);
 
-    if (status != ARES_SUCCESS)
-      break;
+    if (status2 != ARES_SUCCESS)
+      return status2 == ARES_EBADNAME ? ARES_EBADRESP : status2;
 
-    ptr += temp_len;
+    ptr += rr_temp_len;
     if (ptr + NS_RRFIXEDSZ > buf + len) {
-      free(rr_name);
-      status = ARES_EBADRESP;
-      break;
+      return ARES_EBADRESP;
     }
 
     const int rr_type = cares_get_16bit(ptr);
     const int rr_len = cares_get_16bit(ptr + 8);
     ptr += NS_RRFIXEDSZ;
 
-    /* only need SOA */
+    // only need SOA
     if (rr_type == ns_t_soa) {
-      ares_soa_reply soa;
-
-      status = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len, &soa.nsname, &temp_len);
-      if (status != ARES_SUCCESS) {
-        free(rr_name);
-        break;
+      char* nsname_temp;
+      long nsname_temp_len;  // NOLINT(runtime/int)
+
+      int status3 = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len,
+                                     &nsname_temp,
+                                     &nsname_temp_len);
+      const ares_unique_ptr nsname(nsname_temp);
+      if (status3 != ARES_SUCCESS) {
+        return status3 == ARES_EBADNAME ? ARES_EBADRESP : status3;
       }
-      ptr += temp_len;
-
-      status = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len, &soa.hostmaster, &temp_len);
-      if (status != ARES_SUCCESS) {
-        free(rr_name);
-        free(soa.nsname);
-        break;
+      ptr += nsname_temp_len;
+
+      char* hostmaster_temp;
+      long hostmaster_temp_len;  // NOLINT(runtime/int)
+      int status4 = ares_expand_name(ptr, buf, len,
+                                     &hostmaster_temp,
+                                     &hostmaster_temp_len);
+      const ares_unique_ptr hostmaster(hostmaster_temp);
+      if (status4 != ARES_SUCCESS) {
+        return status4 == ARES_EBADNAME ? ARES_EBADRESP : status4;
       }
-      ptr += temp_len;
+      ptr += hostmaster_temp_len;
 
       if (ptr + 5 * 4 > buf + len) {
-        free(rr_name);
-        free(soa.nsname);
-        free(soa.hostmaster);
-        status = ARES_EBADRESP;
-        break;
+        return ARES_EBADRESP;
       }
 
-      soa.serial = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 0 * 4);
-      soa.refresh = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 1 * 4);
-      soa.retry = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 2 * 4);
-      soa.expire = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 3 * 4);
-      soa.minttl = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 4 * 4);
+      const unsigned int serial = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 0 * 4);
+      const unsigned int refresh = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 1 * 4);
+      const unsigned int retry = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 2 * 4);
+      const unsigned int expire = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 3 * 4);
+      const unsigned int minttl = cares_get_32bit(ptr + 4 * 4);
 
       Local<Object> soa_record = Object::New(env->isolate());
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->nsname_string(),
-                      OneByteString(env->isolate(), soa.nsname)).FromJust();
+                      OneByteString(env->isolate(), nsname.get())).FromJust();
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->hostmaster_string(),
                       OneByteString(env->isolate(),
-                                    soa.hostmaster)).FromJust();
+                                    hostmaster.get())).FromJust();
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->serial_string(),
-                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), soa.serial)).FromJust();
+                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), serial)).FromJust();
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->refresh_string(),
-                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), soa.refresh)).FromJust();
+                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), refresh)).FromJust();
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->retry_string(),
-                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), soa.retry)).FromJust();
+                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), retry)).FromJust();
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->expire_string(),
-                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), soa.expire)).FromJust();
+                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), expire)).FromJust();
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->minttl_string(),
-                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), soa.minttl)).FromJust();
+                      Integer::New(env->isolate(), minttl)).FromJust();
       soa_record->Set(context,
                       env->type_string(),
                       env->dns_soa_string()).FromJust();
 
-      free(soa.nsname);
-      free(soa.hostmaster);
 
       *ret = handle_scope.Escape(soa_record);
       break;
     }
 
-    free(rr_name);
     ptr += rr_len;
   }
 
-  free(name);
-
-  if (status != ARES_SUCCESS) {
-    return status == ARES_EBADNAME ? ARES_EBADRESP : status;
-  }
-
   return ARES_SUCCESS;
 }