diff --git a/nest/neighbor.c b/nest/neighbor.c
index d046e981..1a31fb79 100644
--- a/nest/neighbor.c
+++ b/nest/neighbor.c
@@ -253,9 +253,7 @@ neigh_find(struct proto *p, ip_addr a, struct iface *iface, uint flags)
   if ((scope < 0) && !(flags & NEF_STICKY))
     return NULL;
 
-  n = sl_alloc(neigh_slab);
-  memset(n, 0, sizeof(neighbor));
-
+  n = sl_allocz(neigh_slab);
   add_tail(&neigh_hash_table[h], &n->n);
   add_tail((scope >= 0) ? &iface->neighbors : &sticky_neigh_list, &n->if_n);
   n->addr = a;
diff --git a/nest/rt-attr.c b/nest/rt-attr.c
index 28d956bc..25e39488 100644
--- a/nest/rt-attr.c
+++ b/nest/rt-attr.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ rt_get_source(struct proto *p, u32 id)
   if (src)
     return src;
 
-  src = sl_alloc(rte_src_slab);
+  src = sl_allocz(rte_src_slab);
   src->proto = p;
   src->private_id = id;
   src->global_id = idm_alloc(&src_ids);
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ nexthop_copy(struct nexthop *o)
 
   for (; o; o = o->next)
     {
-      struct nexthop *n = sl_alloc(nexthop_slab(o));
+      struct nexthop *n = sl_allocz(nexthop_slab(o));
       n->gw = o->gw;
       n->iface = o->iface;
       n->next = NULL;
diff --git a/proto/bfd/bfd.c b/proto/bfd/bfd.c
index a8814382..8dfca790 100644
--- a/proto/bfd/bfd.c
+++ b/proto/bfd/bfd.c
@@ -423,9 +423,7 @@ bfd_add_session(struct bfd_proto *p, ip_addr addr, ip_addr local, struct iface *
 
   struct bfd_iface *ifa = bfd_get_iface(p, local, iface);
 
-  struct bfd_session *s = sl_alloc(p->session_slab);
-  bzero(s, sizeof(struct bfd_session));
-
+  struct bfd_session *s = sl_allocz(p->session_slab);
   s->addr = addr;
   s->ifa = ifa;
   s->loc_id = bfd_get_free_id(p);
diff --git a/proto/bgp/attrs.c b/proto/bgp/attrs.c
index 4710bfba..828bc118 100644
--- a/proto/bgp/attrs.c
+++ b/proto/bgp/attrs.c
@@ -1603,6 +1603,7 @@ bgp_get_prefix(struct bgp_channel *c, net_addr *net, u32 path_id)
 
   px->buck_node.next = NULL;
   px->buck_node.prev = NULL;
+  px->next = NULL;
   px->hash = hash;
   px->path_id = path_id;
   net_copy(px->net, net);
diff --git a/proto/ospf/topology.c b/proto/ospf/topology.c
index ea7176fd..52c2a0ce 100644
--- a/proto/ospf/topology.c
+++ b/proto/ospf/topology.c
@@ -2108,9 +2108,7 @@ ospf_hash_get(struct top_graph *f, u32 domain, u32 lsa, u32 rtr, u32 type)
   if (e)
     return e;
 
-  e = sl_alloc(f->hash_slab);
-  bzero(e, sizeof(struct top_hash_entry));
-
+  e = sl_allocz(f->hash_slab);
   e->color = OUTSPF;
   e->dist = LSINFINITY;
   e->lsa.type_raw = type;