diff --git a/src/frontend/options.c b/src/frontend/options.c
index 6cceb2fa6..f01757902 100644
--- a/src/frontend/options.c
+++ b/src/frontend/options.c
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
             vv->va_vlist = NULL;
             for (i = d->v_length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
                 tv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
+                tv->va_name = NULL;
                 tv->va_type = CP_REAL;
                 if (isreal(d))
                     tv->va_real = d->v_realdata[i];
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
             vv->va_vlist = NULL;
             for (pl = plot_list; pl; pl = pl->pl_next) {
                 tv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
+                tv->va_name = NULL;
                 tv->va_type = CP_STRING;
                 tv->va_string = copy(pl->pl_typename);
                 tv->va_next = vv->va_vlist;
diff --git a/src/frontend/spiceif.c b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
index 954c9371d..3b39be5a3 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spiceif.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
@@ -982,8 +982,10 @@ parmtovar(IFvalue *pv, IFparm *opt)
         break;
     case IF_REALVEC:
         vv->va_type = CP_LIST;
+        vv->va_vlist = NULL;
         for (i = 0; i < pv->v.numValue; i++) {
             nv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
+            nv->va_name = NULL;
             nv->va_next = vv->va_vlist;
             vv->va_vlist = nv;
             nv->va_type = CP_REAL;
diff --git a/src/frontend/variable.c b/src/frontend/variable.c
index e3bbbc04b..8245b1e44 100644
--- a/src/frontend/variable.c
+++ b/src/frontend/variable.c
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
                         break;
                 }
                 vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
+                vv->va_name = NULL;
                 vv->va_next = NULL;
                 copyval = ss = cp_unquote(wl->wl_word);
                 td = ft_numparse(&ss, FALSE);
@@ -462,8 +463,8 @@ cp_remvar(char *varname)
     if (!v) {
         /* Gotta make up a var struct for cp_usrset()... */
         v = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
-        ZERO(v, struct variable);
         v->va_name = copy(varname);
+        v->va_next = NULL;
         v->va_type = CP_NUM;
         v->va_num = 0;
         found = FALSE;