diff --git a/src/placement/jump_map.c b/src/placement/jump_map.c
index 3f439d43905..dc69a981f45 100644
--- a/src/placement/jump_map.c
+++ b/src/placement/jump_map.c
@@ -642,12 +642,11 @@ get_object_layout(struct pl_jump_map *jmap, struct pl_obj_layout *layout,
 	}
 	rc = 0;
 
-	if (out_list != NULL) {
+	D_INIT_LIST_HEAD(&local_list);
+	if (out_list != NULL)
 		remap_list = out_list;
-	} else {
-		D_INIT_LIST_HEAD(&local_list);
+	else
 		remap_list = &local_list;
-	}
 
 	dom_size = (struct pool_domain *)(root->do_targets) - (root) + 1;
 	D_ALLOC_ARRAY(dom_used, (dom_size / NBBY) + 1);
diff --git a/src/placement/ring_map.c b/src/placement/ring_map.c
index c57bbfd57a5..04171e2391b 100644
--- a/src/placement/ring_map.c
+++ b/src/placement/ring_map.c
@@ -1091,15 +1091,13 @@ ring_obj_layout_fill(struct pl_map *map, struct daos_obj_md *md,
 	}
 
 	rc = ring_obj_remap_shards(rimap, md, layout, rop, remap_list,
-			for_reint);
+				   for_reint);
 
 	if (rc == 0)
 		obj_layout_dump(md->omd_id, layout);
 out:
-	if (rc) {
+	if (rc)
 		D_ERROR("ring_obj_layout_fill failed, rc "DF_RC"\n", DP_RC(rc));
-		remap_list_free_all(remap_list);
-	}
 	return rc;
 }
 
@@ -1134,6 +1132,7 @@ ring_obj_place(struct pl_map *map, struct daos_obj_md *md,
 	if (rc) {
 		D_ERROR("ring_obj_layout_fill failed, rc "DF_RC"\n", DP_RC(rc));
 		pl_obj_layout_free(layout);
+		remap_list_free_all(&remap_list);
 		return rc;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/placement/tests/placement_test.c b/src/placement/tests/placement_test.c
index b93d944e1ad..b757b395091 100644
--- a/src/placement/tests/placement_test.c
+++ b/src/placement/tests/placement_test.c
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			cmocka_set_test_filter(filter);
 		}
 #else
+			sprintf(filter, "*%s*", optarg);
 			D_PRINT("filter not enabled. %s not applied", filter);
 #endif
 			break;