diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/fn.v b/vlib/v/checker/fn.v
index 432cf40c56..eb60cad43e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/fn.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/fn.v
@@ -1165,10 +1165,6 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) method_call(mut node ast.CallExpr) ast.Type {
 			return ast.int_type
 		}
 	}
-	if !c.is_builtin_mod && !c.inside_unsafe && method_name == 'free' {
-		c.warn('manual memory management with `free()` is only allowed in unsafe code',
-			node.pos)
-	}
 	if left_type == ast.void_type {
 		// No need to print this error, since this means that the variable is unknown,
 		// and there already was an error before.
@@ -1602,6 +1598,10 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) method_call(mut node ast.CallExpr) ast.Type {
 		c.fail_if_unreadable(node.left, left_type, 'receiver')
 		return ast.string_type
 	} else if method_name == 'free' {
+		if !c.is_builtin_mod && !c.inside_unsafe && !method.is_unsafe {
+			c.warn('manual memory management with `free()` is only allowed in unsafe code',
+				node.pos)
+		}
 		return ast.void_type
 	}
 	// call struct field fn type