diff --git a/cfg.h b/cfg.h
index 8cd2a7f..85ac215 100644
--- a/cfg.h
+++ b/cfg.h
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ size_t string_hash(string* s) {
 
 ///// list is a list with a length and on-demand growing/shrinking
 
-#define LIST(type) \
+#define LIST(type, cleanup) \
 typedef struct list_##type { \
   size_t len; \
   size_t cap; \
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ list_##type new_list_##type() { \
 } \
  \
 void free_list_##type(list_##type l) { \
+  size_t i; \
+  for (i = 0; i < l.len; i++) cleanup(l.data[i]); \
   free(l.data); \
 } \
  \
@@ -208,16 +210,22 @@ void list_set_nth_##type(list_##type* l, size_t n, type elem) { \
 
 ///// map is a hashmap
 
-#define MAP(key_type, val_type, hash, cmp) \
+#define MAP(key_type, val_type, hash, cmp, key_cleanup, val_cleanup) \
 typedef struct entry_##key_type##_##val_type { \
   key_type key; \
   val_type val; \
 } entry_##key_type##_##val_type; \
  \
-LIST(entry_##key_type##_##val_type); \
-LIST(list_entry_##key_type##_##val_type); \
-LIST(key_type); \
-LIST(val_type); \
+\
+void entry_##key_type##_##val_type##_cleanup(entry_##key_type##_##val_type e) {\
+  key_cleanup(e.key);\
+  val_cleanup(e.val);\
+}\
+\
+LIST(entry_##key_type##_##val_type, entry_##key_type##_##val_type##_cleanup); \
+LIST(list_entry_##key_type##_##val_type, free_list_entry_##key_type##_##val_type); \
+LIST(key_type, key_cleanup); \
+LIST(val_type, val_cleanup); \
  \
 typedef struct map_##key_type##_##val_type { \
   list_list_entry_##key_type##_##val_type entries; \
@@ -333,7 +341,9 @@ typedef struct config_value {
 
 config_value zero_config_value = {0};
 
-MAP(string, config_value, string_hash, string_compare);
+void free_config_value(config_value);
+
+MAP(string, config_value, string_hash, string_compare, free_string, free_config_value);
 
 struct config {
   map_string_config_value values;
@@ -346,7 +356,26 @@ struct config {
 
 //// Functions
 
-////// config value functions
+void free_config(config c) {
+  free_map_string_config_value(c.values);
+}
+
+void free_config_value(config_value c) {
+  switch (c.tag) {
+    case config_value_section:
+      free_config(*c.section);
+      free(c.section);
+      break;
+    case config_value_string:
+      free_string(c.s);
+      break;
+    case config_value_list:
+      free_list_config_value(*c.l);
+      free(c.l);
+      break;
+    // number does not need to be freed
+  }
+}
 
 bool config_value_compare(config_value* a, config_value* b) {
   if (a->tag != b->tag) return false;
diff --git a/examples/nested_simple.c b/examples/nested_simple.c
index 80ea3a9..f0977e7 100644
--- a/examples/nested_simple.c
+++ b/examples/nested_simple.c
@@ -5,16 +5,18 @@ int main() {
   string key;
   config_add_number(&c, string_from_cstr("mynum"), 42);
   config_add_string(&c, string_from_cstr("mystring"), string_from_cstr("cfg is pretty awesome"));
-  list_config_value l = new_list_config_value();
+  list_config_value* l = malloc(sizeof(list_config_value));
+  *l = new_list_config_value();
   for (int i = 0; i < 10; i += 2) {
-    list_push_config_value(&l, config_number(i));
+    list_push_config_value(l, config_number(i));
   }
-  list_push_config_value(&l, config_string(string_from_cstr("value")));
-  config_add_list(&c, string_from_cstr("mylist"), &l);
-  config sub = new_config();
-  config_add_number(&sub, string_from_cstr("mysecondnum"), 23);
-  config_add_string(&sub, string_from_cstr("mysecondstring"), string_from_cstr("\"inner\"\"quoted\""));
-  config_add_section(&c, string_from_cstr("mysection"), &sub);
+  list_push_config_value(l, config_string(string_from_cstr("value")));
+  config_add_list(&c, string_from_cstr("mylist"), l);
+  config* sub = malloc(sizeof(config));
+  *sub = new_config();
+  config_add_number(sub, string_from_cstr("mysecondnum"), 23);
+  config_add_string(sub, string_from_cstr("mysecondstring"), string_from_cstr("\"inner\"\"quoted\""));
+  config_add_section(&c, string_from_cstr("mysection"), sub);
 
   string s = config_str(&c, 0);
   char* cstr = string_cstr(&s);
@@ -22,5 +24,6 @@ int main() {
   printf("%s\n", cstr);
   free_string(s);
   free(cstr);
+  free_config(c);
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/parser_simple.c b/examples/parser_simple.c
index 8a1332d..d28be7b 100644
--- a/examples/parser_simple.c
+++ b/examples/parser_simple.c
@@ -33,5 +33,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   free_string(str);
   free(cstr);
   free(contents);
+  free_config(c.c);
   return 0;
 }