diff --git a/src/tree_schema_internal.h b/src/tree_schema_internal.h
index deb08bb..51de253 100644
--- a/src/tree_schema_internal.h
+++ b/src/tree_schema_internal.h
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@
  * @brief Macro to free [sized array](@ref sizedarrays) of strings stored in the context's dictionary. The ARRAY itself is also freed,
  * but the memory is not sanitized.
  */
-#define FREE_STRINGS(CTX, ARRAY) {LY_ARRAY_COUNT_TYPE c__; LY_ARRAY_FOR(ARRAY, c__){FREE_STRING(CTX, ARRAY[c__]);}LY_ARRAY_FREE(ARRAY);}
+#define FREE_STRINGS(CTX, ARRAY) {LY_ARRAY_COUNT_TYPE c__; LY_ARRAY_FOR(ARRAY, c__){lydict_remove(CTX, ARRAY[c__]);}LY_ARRAY_FREE(ARRAY);}
 
 /**
  * @brief Free the printable YANG schema tree structure. Works for both modules and submodules.