diff --git a/src/storage-rbox/rbox-mail.cpp b/src/storage-rbox/rbox-mail.cpp
index ff68b4ab..04f0aeda 100644
--- a/src/storage-rbox/rbox-mail.cpp
+++ b/src/storage-rbox/rbox-mail.cpp
@@ -138,7 +138,13 @@ static int rbox_mail_metadata_get(struct rbox_mail *rmail, enum rbox_metadata_ke
     FUNC_END();
     return -1;
   }
-  rmail->rados_mail->get_metadata(key, value_r);
+  
+  // we need to copy the pointer. Because dovecots memory mgmnt will free it!
+  char* val = NULL;
+  rmail->rados_mail->get_metadata(key, &val);
+  if (val != NULL) {
+    *value_r = i_strdup(val);
+  }
   FUNC_END();
   return 0;
 }
@@ -313,7 +319,9 @@ int rbox_mail_get_virtual_size(struct mail *_mail, uoff_t *size_r) {
   rmail->rados_mail->add_metadata(metadata_phy);
 
   if (value != NULL && free_value) {
+    i_warning("FREE_V");
     i_free(value);
+    i_warning("FREE_V_DONE");
   }
   return ret;
 }
@@ -517,6 +525,7 @@ static int rbox_get_cached_metadata(struct rbox_mail *mail, enum rbox_metadata_k
 
   char *value = NULL;
   unsigned int order = 0;
+  bool free_value = true;
 
   string_t *str = str_new(imail->mail.data_pool, 64);
   if (mail_cache_lookup_field(imail->mail.mail.transaction->cache_view, str, imail->mail.mail.seq,
@@ -544,6 +553,7 @@ static int rbox_get_cached_metadata(struct rbox_mail *mail, enum rbox_metadata_k
 
   if (value == NULL) {
     value = i_strdup("");
+    free_value = false;
   }
   if (cache_field != MAIL_CACHE_POP3_ORDER) {
     index_mail_cache_add_idx(imail, ibox->cache_fields[cache_field].idx, value, strlen(value) + 1);
@@ -559,7 +569,9 @@ static int rbox_get_cached_metadata(struct rbox_mail *mail, enum rbox_metadata_k
      change unexpectedly */
   str_truncate(str, 0);
   str_append(str, value);
-  i_free(value);
+  if (free_value && value != NULL) {
+    i_free(value);
+  }
   *value_r = str_c(str);
   return 0;
 }