diff --git a/commands.c b/commands.c
index e310fca..0d0c8ae 100644
--- a/commands.c
+++ b/commands.c
@@ -413,11 +413,8 @@ cmd_new(int argc, char *argv[])
    }
 
    /* create & setup playlist */
-   p = playlist_new();
+   p = playlist_new(filename, name);
    p->needs_saving = true;
-   p->filename = filename;
-   if ((p->name = strdup(name)) == NULL)
-      err(1, "cmd_new: strdup(3) failed");
 
    /* add playlist to media library and update ui */
    medialib_playlist_add(p);
@@ -429,6 +426,7 @@ cmd_new(int argc, char *argv[])
    paint_library();
    paint_message("playlist \"%s\" added", name);
 
+   free(filename);
    return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/medialib.c b/medialib.c
index 35cfd2e..864df53 100644
--- a/medialib.c
+++ b/medialib.c
@@ -38,16 +38,8 @@ medialib_load(const char *db_file, const char *playlist_dir)
       err(1, "failed to strdup db file and playlist dir in medialib_init");
 
    /* setup pseudo-playlists */
-   mdb.library = playlist_new();
-   mdb.library->filename = NULL;
-   mdb.library->name = strdup("--LIBRARY--");
-
-   mdb.filter_results = playlist_new();
-   mdb.filter_results->filename = NULL;
-   mdb.filter_results->name = strdup("--FILTER--");
-
-   if (mdb.library->name == NULL || mdb.filter_results->name == NULL)
-      err(1, "failed to strdup pseudo-names in medialib_load");
+   mdb.library = playlist_new(NULL, "--LIBRARY--");
+   mdb.filter_results = playlist_new(NULL, "--FILTER--");
 
    /* load the actual database */
    medialib_db_load(db_file);
diff --git a/playlist.c b/playlist.c
index ceac2fc..d5a56d3 100644
--- a/playlist.c
+++ b/playlist.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ playlist_increase_capacity(playlist *p)
  * structure must be free(2)'d using playlist_free().
  */
 playlist *
-playlist_new(void)
+playlist_new(const char *filename, const char *name)
 {
    playlist *p;
    
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ playlist_new(void)
    p->hist_present = -1;
    p->needs_saving = false;
 
+   if (filename != NULL) {
+      if ((p->filename = strdup(filename)) == NULL)
+         err(1, "%s: strdup(3) failed", __FUNCTION__);
+   }
+   if (name != NULL) {
+      if ((p->name = strdup(name)) == NULL)
+         err(1, "%s: strdup(3) failed", __FUNCTION__);
+   }
+
    return p;
 }
 
@@ -81,19 +90,10 @@ playlist_dup(const playlist *original, const char *filename,
    int i;
 
    /* create new playlist and copy simple members */
-   newplist           = playlist_new();
+   newplist           = playlist_new(filename, name);
    newplist->nfiles   = original->nfiles;
    newplist->capacity = original->nfiles;
 
-   if (name != NULL) {
-      if ((newplist->name = strdup(name)) == NULL)
-         err(1, "playlist_dup: strdup name failed");
-   }
-   if (filename != NULL) {
-      if ((newplist->filename = strdup(filename)) == NULL)
-         err(1, "playlist_dup: strdup filename failed");
-   }
-
    /* copy all of the files */
    newplist->files = calloc(original->nfiles, sizeof(meta_info*));
    if (newplist->files == NULL)
@@ -203,20 +203,19 @@ playlist *
 playlist_load(const char *filename, meta_info **db, int ndb)
 {
    meta_info *mi, **mit;
-   FILE *fin;
-   char *period;
-   char  entry[PATH_MAX + 1];
+   FILE      *fin;
+   char      *name, *period;
+   char       entry[PATH_MAX + 1];
 
    /* open file */
    if ((fin = fopen(filename, "r")) == NULL)
       err(1, "playlist_load: failed to open playlist '%s'", filename);
 
+   if ((name = basename(filename)) == NULL)
+      err(1, "%s: basename(3) failed", __FUNCTION__);
+
    /* create playlist and setup */
-   playlist *p = playlist_new();
-   p->filename = strdup(filename);
-   p->name     = strdup(basename(p->filename));
-   if (p->filename == NULL || p->name == NULL)
-      err(1, "playlist_load: failed to allocate info for playlist '%s'", filename);
+   playlist *p = playlist_new(filename, name);
 
    /* hack to remove '.playlist' from name */
    period  = strrchr(p->name, '.');
@@ -309,7 +308,7 @@ playlist_filter(const playlist *p, bool m)
    if (!mi_query_isset())
       return NULL;
    
-   results = playlist_new();
+   results = playlist_new(NULL, NULL);
    for (i = 0; i < p->nfiles; i++) {
       if (mi_match(p->files[i])) {
          if (m)  playlist_files_append(results, &(p->files[i]), 1, false);
diff --git a/playlist.h b/playlist.h
index 60c06a0..979fa62 100644
--- a/playlist.h
+++ b/playlist.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ typedef struct {
  */
 
 /* create/destroy/duplicate playlist structs */
-playlist *playlist_new(void);
+playlist *playlist_new(const char *filename, const char *name);
 void playlist_free(playlist *p);
 playlist *playlist_dup(const playlist *original, const char *filename,
                        const char* name);