diff --git a/HellionChat/GameFunctions/Chat.cs b/HellionChat/GameFunctions/Chat.cs
index b4a0396..4d75d99 100755
--- a/HellionChat/GameFunctions/Chat.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/GameFunctions/Chat.cs
@@ -423,16 +423,24 @@ internal sealed unsafe class Chat : IDisposable
         );
     }
 
-    // Check if channel is valid (non-linkshell or existing linkshell)
-    internal static bool ValidAnyLinkshell(InputChannel channel)
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Cherry-picked from ChatTwo upstream f35b7d3 (Infiziert90, 2026-05-12)
+    // - Renamed ValidAnyLinkshell -> IsChannelOrExistingLinkshell. The
+    //   name now states intent: returns true for any non-linkshell
+    //   channel, or a linkshell index that actually exists.
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------------
+    internal static bool IsChannelOrExistingLinkshell(InputChannel channel)
     {
         var idx = channel.LinkshellIndex();
         if (idx == uint.MaxValue || channel.IsExtraChatLinkshell())
             return true;
-        if (channel.IsLinkshell() && ValidLinkshell(idx))
-            return true;
-        if (channel.IsCrossLinkshell() && ValidCrossLinkshell(idx))
-            return true;
+
+        if (channel.IsLinkshell())
+            return ValidLinkshell(idx);
+
+        if (channel.IsCrossLinkshell())
+            return ValidCrossLinkshell(idx);
+
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -531,12 +539,17 @@ internal sealed unsafe class Chat : IDisposable
         if (idx == uint.MaxValue)
             idx = 0;
 
-        if (!ValidAnyLinkshell(channel))
-            return;
+        // ---------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Cherry-picked from ChatTwo upstream f35b7d3 (Infiziert90, 2026-05-12)
+        // - Wrap ChangeChatChannel in the validity check instead of
+        //   early-returning. The previous early return skipped Dtor and
+        //   leaked the native Utf8String allocated a few lines above.
+        // ---------------------------------------------------------------
+        if (IsChannelOrExistingLinkshell(channel))
+            RaptureShellModule
+                .Instance()
+                ->ChangeChatChannel(tellTarget != null ? 17 : (int)channel, idx, target, true);
 
-        RaptureShellModule
-            .Instance()
-            ->ChangeChatChannel(tellTarget != null ? 17 : (int)channel, idx, target, true);
         target->Dtor(true);
     }
 
diff --git a/HellionChat/Ui/ChatLogWindow.cs b/HellionChat/Ui/ChatLogWindow.cs
index 9bb1f79..0f43eda 100644
--- a/HellionChat/Ui/ChatLogWindow.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/Ui/ChatLogWindow.cs
@@ -272,7 +272,10 @@ public sealed class ChatLogWindow : Window
                 }
             }
 
-            if (targetChannel == null || !GameFunctions.Chat.ValidAnyLinkshell(targetChannel.Value))
+            if (
+                targetChannel == null
+                || !GameFunctions.Chat.IsChannelOrExistingLinkshell(targetChannel.Value)
+            )
             {
                 Plugin.Log.Warning(
                     $"Channel was set to an invalid value '{targetChannel}', ignoring"