diff --git a/sdk/core/azure-core/inc/azure/core/internal/unique_handle.hpp b/sdk/core/azure-core/inc/azure/core/internal/unique_handle.hpp
index 6effbe3396..788eaf0bf6 100644
--- a/sdk/core/azure-core/inc/azure/core/internal/unique_handle.hpp
+++ b/sdk/core/azure-core/inc/azure/core/internal/unique_handle.hpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ namespace Azure { namespace Core { namespace _internal {
    *
    *  template <> struct UniqueHandleHelper<CURL>
    *  {
-   *    using type = BasicUniqueHandle<CURL, curl_free>;
+   *    using type = BasicUniqueHandle<CURL, curl_easy_cleanup>;
    *  };
    *
    * Note that for some types (HINTERNET for example), the helper needs to be a bit more
diff --git a/sdk/core/azure-core/src/http/curl/curl_connection_private.hpp b/sdk/core/azure-core/src/http/curl/curl_connection_private.hpp
index 6dd31f6f78..019dea9e77 100644
--- a/sdk/core/azure-core/src/http/curl/curl_connection_private.hpp
+++ b/sdk/core/azure-core/src/http/curl/curl_connection_private.hpp
@@ -40,9 +40,7 @@ namespace Azure { namespace Core {
      */
     template <> struct UniqueHandleHelper<CURL>
     {
-      static void FreeHandle(CURL* obj) { curl_free(obj); }
-
-      using type = BasicUniqueHandle<CURL, FreeHandle>;
+      using type = BasicUniqueHandle<CURL, curl_easy_cleanup>;
     };
   } // namespace _internal
 
diff --git a/sdk/core/ci.yml b/sdk/core/ci.yml
index f2bdf66a43..f6928c319f 100644
--- a/sdk/core/ci.yml
+++ b/sdk/core/ci.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ stages:
       LiveTestCtestRegex: azure-core.|json-test
       LiveTestTimeoutInMinutes: 90 # default is 60 min. We need a little longer on worst case for Win+jsonTests
       LineCoverageTarget: 93
-      BranchCoverageTarget: 55
+      BranchCoverageTarget: 50
       PreTestSteps:
         - pwsh: |
             docker build -t squid-local $(Build.SourcesDirectory)/sdk/core/azure-core/test/ut/proxy_tests/localproxy