diff --git a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
--- a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
@@ -793,8 +793,12 @@
 LSSharedFileListItemRef findStartupItemInList(LSSharedFileListRef list,
                                               CFURLRef findUrl) {
     LSSharedFileListItemRef foundItem = nullptr;
-    // loop through the list of startup items and try to find the bitcoin app
     CFArrayRef listSnapshot = LSSharedFileListCopySnapshot(list, nullptr);
+    if (listSnapshot == nullptr) {
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    // loop through the list of startup items and try to find the bitcoin app
     for (int i = 0; !foundItem && i < CFArrayGetCount(listSnapshot); ++i) {
         LSSharedFileListItemRef item =
             (LSSharedFileListItemRef)CFArrayGetValueAtIndex(listSnapshot, i);
@@ -820,20 +824,27 @@
                                     nullptr);
 #endif
 
-        if (currentItemURL && CFEqual(currentItemURL, findUrl)) {
-            // found
-            CFRetain(foundItem = item);
-        }
         if (currentItemURL) {
+            if (CFEqual(currentItemURL, findUrl)) {
+                // found
+                CFRelease(listSnapshot);
+                CFRelease(currentItemURL);
+                return item;
+            }
             CFRelease(currentItemURL);
         }
     }
+
     CFRelease(listSnapshot);
     return foundItem;
 }
 
 bool GetStartOnSystemStartup() {
     CFURLRef bitcoinAppUrl = CFBundleCopyBundleURL(CFBundleGetMainBundle());
+    if (bitcoinAppUrl == nullptr) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     LSSharedFileListRef loginItems = LSSharedFileListCreate(
         nullptr, kLSSharedFileListSessionLoginItems, nullptr);
     LSSharedFileListItemRef foundItem =
@@ -849,6 +860,10 @@
 
 bool SetStartOnSystemStartup(bool fAutoStart) {
     CFURLRef bitcoinAppUrl = CFBundleCopyBundleURL(CFBundleGetMainBundle());
+    if (bitcoinAppUrl == nullptr) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     LSSharedFileListRef loginItems = LSSharedFileListCreate(
         nullptr, kLSSharedFileListSessionLoginItems, nullptr);
     LSSharedFileListItemRef foundItem =