diff --git a/tool/net/redbean.c b/tool/net/redbean.c
index eb3cbd68d..f23ed86db 100644
--- a/tool/net/redbean.c
+++ b/tool/net/redbean.c
@@ -3061,25 +3061,28 @@ static int LuaServeIndex(lua_State *L) {
 
 static int LuaServeRedirect(lua_State *L) {
   size_t loclen;
-  const char *location;
+  const char *location, *eval;
   int code;
   OnlyCallDuringRequest("ServeRedirect");
 
   code = luaL_checkinteger(L, 1);
   if (!(300 <= code && code <= 399)) {
-    luaL_argerror(L, 1, "bad status code for redirect");
+    luaL_argerror(L, 1, "bad status code");
     unreachable;
   }
   location = luaL_checklstring(L, 2, &loclen);
-
   if (msg.version < 10) {
     (void)ServeError(505, "HTTP Version Not Supported");
     lua_pushboolean(L, false);
   } else {
+    if (!(eval = EncodeHttpHeaderValue(location, loclen, 0))) {
+      luaL_argerror(L, 2, "invalid location");
+      unreachable;
+    }
     LOGF("REDIRECT %d to %s", code, location);
     luaheaderp = AppendHeader(
-          SetStatus(code, GetHttpReason(code)), "Location",
-          FreeLater(EncodeHttpHeaderValue(location, loclen, 0)));
+      SetStatus(code, GetHttpReason(code)), "Location", eval);
+    free(eval);
     lua_pushboolean(L, true);
   }
   return 1;