diff --git a/src/http-header-glue.c b/src/http-header-glue.c
index ec46558f..9e536848 100644
--- a/src/http-header-glue.c
+++ b/src/http-header-glue.c
@@ -285,7 +285,6 @@ void http_response_reset (request_st * const r) {
     if (r->physical.path.ptr) { /*(skip for mod_fastcgi authorizer)*/
         buffer_clear(&r->physical.doc_root);
         buffer_clear(&r->physical.basedir);
-        buffer_clear(&r->physical.etag);
         buffer_reset(&r->physical.path);
         buffer_reset(&r->physical.rel_path);
     }
diff --git a/src/mod_deflate.c b/src/mod_deflate.c
index fea8a9e4..b24af079 100644
--- a/src/mod_deflate.c
+++ b/src/mod_deflate.c
@@ -1861,7 +1861,6 @@ REQUEST_FUNC(mod_deflate_handle_response_start) {
 				vb->ptr[etaglen-1] = '-'; /*(overwrite end '"')*/
 				buffer_append_string(vb, label);
 				buffer_append_string_len(vb, CONST_STR_LEN("\""));
-				/*buffer_copy_buffer(&r->physical.etag, vb);*//*(keep in sync?)*/
 				r->http_status = 304;
 			} else {
 				r->http_status = 412;
@@ -1891,7 +1890,6 @@ REQUEST_FUNC(mod_deflate_handle_response_start) {
 		vb->ptr[etaglen-1] = '-'; /*(overwrite end '"')*/
 		buffer_append_string(vb, label);
 		buffer_append_string_len(vb, CONST_STR_LEN("\""));
-		/*buffer_copy_buffer(&r->physical.etag, vb);*//*(keep in sync?)*/
 	}
 
 	/* set Content-Encoding to show selected compression type */
diff --git a/src/mod_ssi.c b/src/mod_ssi.c
index 06172365..ca626f11 100644
--- a/src/mod_ssi.c
+++ b/src/mod_ssi.c
@@ -1601,8 +1601,8 @@ static int mod_ssi_handle_request(request_st * const r, handler_ctx * const p) {
 		if (TIME64_CAST(st.st_mtime) < include_file_last_mtime)
 			st.st_mtime = include_file_last_mtime;
 
-		http_etag_create(&r->physical.etag, &st, r->conf.etag_flags);
-		http_header_response_set(r, HTTP_HEADER_ETAG, CONST_STR_LEN("ETag"), BUF_PTR_LEN(&r->physical.etag));
+		http_etag_create(r->tmp_buf, &st, r->conf.etag_flags);
+		http_header_response_set(r, HTTP_HEADER_ETAG, CONST_STR_LEN("ETag"), BUF_PTR_LEN(r->tmp_buf));
 
 		const buffer * const mtime = http_response_set_last_modified(r, st.st_mtime);
 		if (HANDLER_FINISHED == http_response_handle_cachable(r, mtime, st.st_mtime)) {
diff --git a/src/mod_webdav.c b/src/mod_webdav.c
index 1e04a528..089fd4ac 100644
--- a/src/mod_webdav.c
+++ b/src/mod_webdav.c
@@ -2256,7 +2256,8 @@ webdav_if_match_or_unmodified_since (request_st * const r, struct stat *st)
     if (NULL == st)
         st = (0 == lstat(r->physical.path.ptr, &stp)) ? &stp : NULL;
 
-    buffer *etagb = &r->physical.etag;
+    buffer * const etagb = r->tmp_buf;
+    buffer_clear(etagb);
     if (NULL != st && (NULL != im || NULL != inm)) {
         http_etag_create(etagb, st, r->conf.etag_flags);
     }
@@ -2288,17 +2289,13 @@ webdav_if_match_or_unmodified_since (request_st * const r, struct stat *st)
 static void
 webdav_response_etag (request_st * const r, struct stat *st)
 {
+    buffer *etagb = NULL;
     if (0 != r->conf.etag_flags) {
-        buffer *etagb = &r->physical.etag;
+        etagb = http_header_response_set_ptr(r, HTTP_HEADER_ETAG,
+                                             CONST_STR_LEN("ETag"));
         http_etag_create(etagb, st, r->conf.etag_flags);
-        stat_cache_update_entry(BUF_PTR_LEN(&r->physical.path), st, etagb);
-        http_header_response_set(r, HTTP_HEADER_ETAG,
-                                 CONST_STR_LEN("ETag"),
-                                 BUF_PTR_LEN(etagb));
-    }
-    else {
-        stat_cache_update_entry(BUF_PTR_LEN(&r->physical.path), st, NULL);
     }
+    stat_cache_update_entry(BUF_PTR_LEN(&r->physical.path), st, etagb);
 }
 
 
@@ -3217,7 +3214,7 @@ webdav_propfind_live_props (const webdav_propfind_bufs * const restrict pb,
         __attribute_fallthrough__
       case WEBDAV_PROP_GETETAG:
         if (0 != pb->r->conf.etag_flags) {
-            buffer *etagb = &pb->r->physical.etag;
+            buffer * const etagb = pb->r->tmp_buf;
             http_etag_create(etagb, &pb->st, pb->r->conf.etag_flags);
             buffer_append_str3(b,
               CONST_STR_LEN(
@@ -3225,7 +3222,6 @@ webdav_propfind_live_props (const webdav_propfind_bufs * const restrict pb,
               BUF_PTR_LEN(etagb),
               CONST_STR_LEN(
               "</D:getetag>"));
-            buffer_clear(etagb);
         }
         else if (pnum != WEBDAV_PROP_ALL)
             return -1; /* invalid; report 'not found' */
@@ -3828,7 +3824,7 @@ webdav_has_lock (request_st * const r,
                         return 0;
                     }
                     if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) continue;/*we ignore etag if dir*/
-                    buffer *etagb = &r->physical.etag;
+                    buffer * const etagb = r->tmp_buf;
                     http_etag_create(etagb, &st, r->conf.etag_flags);
                     *p = '\0';
                     int ematch = http_etag_matches(etagb, etag, 0);
diff --git a/src/reqpool.c b/src/reqpool.c
index 7ff9871c..2358885d 100644
--- a/src/reqpool.c
+++ b/src/reqpool.c
@@ -223,7 +223,6 @@ request_free_data (request_st * const r)
     free(r->physical.doc_root.ptr);
     free(r->physical.path.ptr);
     free(r->physical.basedir.ptr);
-    free(r->physical.etag.ptr);
     free(r->physical.rel_path.ptr);
 
     free(r->pathinfo.ptr);
diff --git a/src/request.h b/src/request.h
index 2332b6e7..607aa991 100644
--- a/src/request.h
+++ b/src/request.h
@@ -94,8 +94,6 @@ typedef struct {
 
     buffer doc_root; /* path = doc_root + rel_path */
     buffer rel_path;
-
-    buffer etag;
 } physical;
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/src/t/test_mod_ssi.c b/src/t/test_mod_ssi.c
index eae5120a..2f2a5c49 100644
--- a/src/t/test_mod_ssi.c
+++ b/src/t/test_mod_ssi.c
@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ void test_mod_ssi (void)
     chunkqueue_reset(&r.write_queue);
 
     free(r.uri.path.ptr);
-    free(r.physical.etag.ptr);
     free(r.physical.path.ptr);
     free(r.physical.rel_path.ptr);
     free(r.physical.doc_root.ptr);
diff --git a/src/t/test_mod_staticfile.c b/src/t/test_mod_staticfile.c
index beaf70eb..fad811dc 100644
--- a/src/t/test_mod_staticfile.c
+++ b/src/t/test_mod_staticfile.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ static void test_mod_staticfile_reset (request_st * const r)
     r->resp_htags = 0;
     array_reset_data_strings(&r->resp_headers);
     http_response_body_clear(r, 0);
-    buffer_clear(&r->physical.etag);
     r->conf.etag_flags = ETAG_USE_INODE | ETAG_USE_MTIME | ETAG_USE_SIZE;
 }
 
@@ -424,7 +423,6 @@ void test_mod_staticfile (void)
     chunkqueue_reset(&r.write_queue);
 
     free(r.uri.path.ptr);
-    free(r.physical.etag.ptr);
     free(r.physical.path.ptr);
     free(r.physical.rel_path.ptr);
     free(r.physical.doc_root.ptr);