diff --git a/src/basic/user-util.c b/src/basic/user-util.c
index eed4bac895..3936192f39 100644
--- a/src/basic/user-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/user-util.c
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ int getpwnam_malloc(const char *name, struct passwd **ret) {
         for (;;) {
                 _cleanup_free_ void *buf = NULL;
 
-                buf = malloc(ALIGN(sizeof(struct passwd)) + bufsize);
+                buf = malloc0(ALIGN(sizeof(struct passwd)) + bufsize);
                 if (!buf)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -1127,7 +1127,7 @@ int getpwuid_malloc(uid_t uid, struct passwd **ret) {
         for (;;) {
                 _cleanup_free_ void *buf = NULL;
 
-                buf = malloc(ALIGN(sizeof(struct passwd)) + bufsize);
+                buf = malloc0(ALIGN(sizeof(struct passwd)) + bufsize);
                 if (!buf)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -1171,7 +1171,7 @@ int getgrnam_malloc(const char *name, struct group **ret) {
         for (;;) {
                 _cleanup_free_ void *buf = NULL;
 
-                buf = malloc(ALIGN(sizeof(struct group)) + bufsize);
+                buf = malloc0(ALIGN(sizeof(struct group)) + bufsize);
                 if (!buf)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -1210,7 +1210,7 @@ int getgrgid_malloc(gid_t gid, struct group **ret) {
         for (;;) {
                 _cleanup_free_ void *buf = NULL;
 
-                buf = malloc(ALIGN(sizeof(struct group)) + bufsize);
+                buf = malloc0(ALIGN(sizeof(struct group)) + bufsize);
                 if (!buf)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
diff --git a/src/shared/user-record-nss.c b/src/shared/user-record-nss.c
index 404003d18e..c2ad11a0c2 100644
--- a/src/shared/user-record-nss.c
+++ b/src/shared/user-record-nss.c
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ int nss_spwd_for_passwd(const struct passwd *pwd, struct spwd *ret_spwd, char **
 
         for (;;) {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *buf = NULL;
-                struct spwd spwd, *result;
+                struct spwd spwd = {}, *result = NULL;
 
-                buf = malloc(buflen);
+                buf = malloc0(buflen);
                 if (!buf)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -349,9 +349,9 @@ int nss_sgrp_for_group(const struct group *grp, struct sgrp *ret_sgrp, char **re
 
         for (;;) {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *buf = NULL;
-                struct sgrp sgrp, *result;
+                struct sgrp sgrp = {}, *result = NULL;
 
-                buf = malloc(buflen);
+                buf = malloc0(buflen);
                 if (!buf)
                         return -ENOMEM;