diff --git a/lib/resource.h b/lib/resource.h
index ad17d9ed..b56bcff5 100644
--- a/lib/resource.h
+++ b/lib/resource.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ typedef struct slab slab;
 
 slab *sl_new(pool *, unsigned size);
 void *sl_alloc(slab *);
+void *sl_allocz(slab *);
 void sl_free(slab *, void *);
 
 /*
diff --git a/lib/slab.c b/lib/slab.c
index c3035b45..f31355e0 100644
--- a/lib/slab.c
+++ b/lib/slab.c
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ sl_alloc(slab *s)
   return o->data;
 }
 
+void *
+sl_allocz(slab *s)
+{
+  void *obj = sl_alloc(s);
+  memset(obj, 0, s->size);
+  return obj;
+}
+
 void
 sl_free(slab *s, void *oo)
 {
@@ -278,6 +286,22 @@ no_partial:
   goto okay;
 }
 
+/**
+ * sl_allocz - allocate an object from Slab and zero it
+ * @s: slab
+ *
+ * sl_allocz() allocates space for a single object from the
+ * Slab and returns a pointer to the object after zeroing out
+ * the object memory.
+ */
+void *
+sl_allocz(slab *s)
+{
+  void *obj = sl_alloc(s);
+  memset(obj, 0, s->data_size);
+  return obj;
+}
+
 /**
  * sl_free - return a free object back to a Slab
  * @s: slab
diff --git a/proto/babel/babel.c b/proto/babel/babel.c
index 618abaa8..4b6b9d7f 100644
--- a/proto/babel/babel.c
+++ b/proto/babel/babel.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ babel_get_source(struct babel_proto *p, struct babel_entry *e, u64 router_id)
   if (s)
     return s;
 
-  s = sl_alloc(p->source_slab);
+  s = sl_allocz(p->source_slab);
   s->router_id = router_id;
   s->expires = current_time() + BABEL_GARBAGE_INTERVAL;
   s->seqno = 0;
@@ -159,8 +159,7 @@ babel_get_route(struct babel_proto *p, struct babel_entry *e, struct babel_neigh
   if (r)
     return r;
 
-  r = sl_alloc(p->route_slab);
-  memset(r, 0, sizeof(*r));
+  r = sl_allocz(p->route_slab);
 
   r->e = e;
   r->neigh = nbr;
@@ -323,7 +322,7 @@ babel_add_seqno_request(struct babel_proto *p, struct babel_entry *e,
     }
 
   /* No entries found */
-  sr = sl_alloc(p->seqno_slab);
+  sr = sl_allocz(p->seqno_slab);
 
 found:
   sr->router_id = router_id;
diff --git a/proto/babel/packets.c b/proto/babel/packets.c
index d4ecf649..415ac3f9 100644
--- a/proto/babel/packets.c
+++ b/proto/babel/packets.c
@@ -1144,7 +1144,6 @@ babel_read_tlv(struct babel_tlv *hdr,
     return PARSE_ERROR;
 
   state->current_tlv_endpos = tlv_data[hdr->type].min_length;
-  memset(msg, 0, sizeof(*msg));
 
   int res = tlv_data[hdr->type].read_tlv(hdr, msg, state);
   if (res != PARSE_SUCCESS)
@@ -1278,7 +1277,7 @@ babel_send_unicast(union babel_msg *msg, struct babel_iface *ifa, ip_addr dest)
   struct babel_msg_node *msgn = sl_alloc(p->msg_slab);
   list queue;
 
-  msgn->msg = *msg;
+  *msgn = (struct babel_msg_node) { .msg = *msg };
   init_list(&queue);
   add_tail(&queue, NODE msgn);
   babel_write_queue(ifa, &queue);
@@ -1305,7 +1304,8 @@ babel_enqueue(union babel_msg *msg, struct babel_iface *ifa)
 {
   struct babel_proto *p = ifa->proto;
   struct babel_msg_node *msgn = sl_alloc(p->msg_slab);
-  msgn->msg = *msg;
+
+  *msgn = (struct babel_msg_node) { .msg = *msg };
   add_tail(&ifa->msg_queue, NODE msgn);
   babel_kick_queue(ifa);
 }
@@ -1386,7 +1386,7 @@ babel_process_packet(struct babel_pkt_header *pkt, int len,
       break;
     }
 
-    msg = sl_alloc(p->msg_slab);
+    msg = sl_allocz(p->msg_slab);
     res = babel_read_tlv(tlv, &msg->msg, &state);
     if (res == PARSE_SUCCESS)
     {