diff --git a/augeas/__init__.py b/augeas/__init__.py
index 9bd97bf..c295228 100644
--- a/augeas/__init__.py
+++ b/augeas/__init__.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ format and the transformation into a tree.
 
 from sys import version_info as _pyver
 
-from augeas.ffi import ffi, lib
+from augeas.ffi import ffi, lib, c89
 
 __author__ = "Nathaniel McCallum <nathaniel@natemccallum.com>"
 __credits__ = """Jeff Schroeder <jeffschroeder@computer.org>
@@ -540,8 +540,8 @@ class Augeas(object):
                 # Create a python string and append it to our matches list
                 item = ffi.string(array[i])
                 matches.append(dec(item))
-                lib.free(array[i])
-        lib.free(array)
+                c89.free(array[i])
+        c89.free(array)
         return matches
 
     def span(self, path):
diff --git a/augeas/ffi.py b/augeas/ffi.py
index a24daf5..9cfcd02 100644
--- a/augeas/ffi.py
+++ b/augeas/ffi.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ void free(void *);
 """)
 
 lib = ffi.dlopen("augeas")
+c89 = ffi.dlopen(None)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     ffi.compile(verbose=True)