diff --git a/example/example.dart b/example/example.dart
index ccc7c31..5f856f1 100644
--- a/example/example.dart
+++ b/example/example.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,4 @@ import 'package:libgit2dart/libgit2dart.dart';
 void main() {
   final repo = Repository.open(Directory.current.path);
   print(repo.path);
-
-  stdout.write(repo.headCommit);
 }
diff --git a/lib/src/bindings/repository.dart b/lib/src/bindings/repository.dart
index 8d6dac6..97dc662 100644
--- a/lib/src/bindings/repository.dart
+++ b/lib/src/bindings/repository.dart
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ Pointer<Pointer<git_repository>> open(String path) {
 /// The [bare_path] can point to only a bare repository.
 ///
 /// Throws a [LibGit2Error] if error occured.
-Pointer<Pointer<git_repository>> openBare(String bare_path) {
+Pointer<Pointer<git_repository>> openBare(String barePath) {
   final out = calloc<Pointer<git_repository>>();
-  final error = libgit2.git_repository_open_bare(
-      out, bare_path.toNativeUtf8().cast<Int8>());
+  final barePathC = barePath.toNativeUtf8().cast<Int8>();
+  final error = libgit2.git_repository_open_bare(out, barePathC);
+  calloc.free(barePathC);
 
   if (error < 0) {
     throw LibGit2Error(error, libgit2.git_error_last());
@@ -75,11 +76,13 @@ Pointer<Pointer<git_object>> revParseSingle(
   String spec,
 ) {
   final out = calloc<Pointer<git_object>>();
+  final specC = spec.toNativeUtf8().cast<Int8>();
   final error = libgit2.git_revparse_single(
     out,
     repo,
-    spec.toNativeUtf8().cast<Int8>(),
+    specC,
   );
+  calloc.free(specC);
 
   if (error < 0) {
     throw LibGit2Error(error, libgit2.git_error_last());
diff --git a/lib/src/repository.dart b/lib/src/repository.dart
index 09b34c1..6ea7fdf 100644
--- a/lib/src/repository.dart
+++ b/lib/src/repository.dart
@@ -15,25 +15,18 @@ class Repository {
   Repository.open(String dir) {
     libgit2.git_libgit2_init();
 
-    _repoPointer = repository.open(dir);
-    _head = repository.revParseSingle(_repoPointer.value, 'HEAD^{commit}');
-    headCommit = libgit2
-        .git_commit_message(_head.value.cast<git_commit>())
-        .cast<Utf8>()
-        .toDartString();
+    final _repoPointer = repository.open(dir);
     path = repository.path(_repoPointer.value);
     namespace = repository.getNamespace(_repoPointer.value);
     isBare = repository.isBare(_repoPointer.value);
 
     // free up neccessary pointers
     calloc.free(_repoPointer);
-    calloc.free(_head);
     libgit2.git_libgit2_shutdown();
   }
 
-  late Pointer<Pointer<git_repository>> _repoPointer;
-  late Pointer<Pointer<git_object>> _head;
-  late String headCommit;
+  /// Path to the `.git` folder for normal repositories
+  /// or path to the repository itself for bare repositories.
   late String path;
   late String namespace;
   late bool isBare;