diff --git a/doc/libcfu.texi b/doc/libcfu.texi
index 3b1a38d..89f7854 100644
--- a/doc/libcfu.texi
+++ b/doc/libcfu.texi
@@ -490,7 +490,12 @@ cfulist_map().  The return value is used to build a new list.
 
 @deftypefun {cfulist_t *} cfulist_new ();
 
- Returns a new list. 
+ Creates a new list. 
+@end deftypefun
+
+@deftypefun {cfulist_t *} cfulist_new_with_free_fn (cfulist_free_fn_t @var{ff})
+
+ Same as cfulist_new() except automatically calls cfulist_set_free_fn(). 
 @end deftypefun
 
 @deftypefun {size_t} cfulist_num_entries (cfulist_t *@var{list})
diff --git a/src/cfulist.c b/src/cfulist.c
index 052d515..b58846e 100644
--- a/src/cfulist.c
+++ b/src/cfulist.c
@@ -84,10 +84,16 @@ cfulist_new(void) {
 cfulist_t *
 cfulist_new_with_free_fn(cfulist_free_fn_t free_fn) {
 	cfulist_t *list = cfulist_new();
-	list->free_fn = free_fn;
+	cfulist_set_free_function (list, free_fn);
 	return list;
 }
 
+int
+cfulist_set_free_function(cfulist_t *list, cfulist_free_fn_t ff) {
+	if (ff) list->free_fn = ff;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 size_t
 cfulist_num_entries(cfulist_t *list) {
 	return list->num_entries;
diff --git a/src/cfulist.h b/src/cfulist.h
index 52e92ec..e7cea4f 100644
--- a/src/cfulist.h
+++ b/src/cfulist.h
@@ -65,9 +65,7 @@ typedef void (*cfulist_free_fn_t)(void *data);
 /* Returns a new list. */
 cfulist_t * cfulist_new(void);
 
-/* Same as cfulist_new(), but set a function to be called on each
- * element when the list is destroyed.
- */
+/* Same as cfulist_new() except automatically calls cfulist_set_free_fn(). */
 cfulist_t * cfulist_new_with_free_fn(cfulist_free_fn_t free_fn);
 
 /* Returns the number of entries in the list. */