diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index 150a0b47b..51dbb16ab 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
 #define xstr(s) str(s)
 #define str(s) #s
 #define arraysz(x) (sizeof(x)/sizeof(x[0]))
+#define zero_at_i(array, idx) memset((array) + (idx), 0, sizeof((array)[0]))
+#define zero_at_ptr(p) memset((p), 0, sizeof((p)[0]))
+#define zero_at_ptr_count(p, count) memset((p), 0, (count) * sizeof((p)[0]))
 void log_error(const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 #define fatal(...) { log_error(__VA_ARGS__); exit(EXIT_FAILURE); }
 
diff --git a/kitty/fonts.c b/kitty/fonts.c
index 904c74a7e..f68754f92 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts.c
+++ b/kitty/fonts.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ font_group_for(double font_sz_in_pts, double logical_dpi_x, double logical_dpi_y
     }
     add_font_group();
     FontGroup *fg = font_groups + num_font_groups - 1;
-    memset(fg, 0, sizeof(FontGroup));
+    zero_at_ptr(fg);
     fg->font_sz_in_pts = font_sz_in_pts;
     fg->logical_dpi_x = logical_dpi_x;
     fg->logical_dpi_y = logical_dpi_y;
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ free_maps(Font *font) {
 
 void
 clear_sprite_map(Font *font) {
-#define CLEAR(s) s->filled = false; s->rendered = false; s->colored = false; s->glyph = 0; memset(&s->extra_glyphs, 0, sizeof(ExtraGlyphs)); s->x = 0; s->y = 0; s->z = 0; s->ligature_index = 0;
+#define CLEAR(s) s->filled = false; s->rendered = false; s->colored = false; s->glyph = 0; zero_at_ptr(&s->extra_glyphs); s->x = 0; s->y = 0; s->z = 0; s->ligature_index = 0;
     SpritePosition *s;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(font->sprite_map)/sizeof(font->sprite_map[0]); i++) {
         s = font->sprite_map + i;
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ shape(CPUCell *first_cpu_cell, GPUCell *first_gpu_cell, index_type num_cells, hb
     group_state.current_cell_data.num_codepoints = num_codepoints_in_cell(first_cpu_cell);
     group_state.current_cell_data.codepoints_consumed = 0;
     group_state.current_cell_data.current_codepoint = first_cpu_cell->ch;
-    memset(group_state.groups, 0, sizeof(Group) * group_state.groups_capacity);
+    zero_at_ptr_count(group_state.groups, group_state.groups_capacity);
     group_state.group_idx = 0;
     group_state.glyph_idx = 0;
     group_state.cell_idx = 0;
diff --git a/kitty/fonts.h b/kitty/fonts.h
index 0791c633b..068dcc104 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts.h
+++ b/kitty/fonts.h
@@ -46,6 +46,6 @@ right_shift_canvas(pixel *canvas, size_t width, size_t height, size_t amt) {
     size_t r;
     for (r = 0, src = canvas; r < height; r++, src += width) {
         memmove(src + amt, src, sizeof(pixel) * (width - amt));
-        memset(src, 0, sizeof(pixel) * amt);
+        zero_at_ptr_count(src, amt);
     }
 }
diff --git a/kitty/graphics.c b/kitty/graphics.c
index 49cb1d743..e70fdee82 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.c
+++ b/kitty/graphics.c
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ find_or_create_image(GraphicsManager *self, uint32_t id, bool *existing) {
     *existing = false;
     ensure_space_for(self, images, Image, self->image_count + 1, images_capacity, 64, true);
     Image *ans = self->images + self->image_count++;
-    memset(ans, 0, sizeof(ans[0]));
+    zero_at_ptr(ans);
     return ans;
 }
 
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ handle_put_command(GraphicsManager *self, const GraphicsCommand *g, Cursor *c, b
     }
     if (ref == NULL) {
         ref = img->refs + img->refcnt++;
-        memset(ref, 0, sizeof(ref[0]));
+        zero_at_ptr(ref);
     }
     img->atime = monotonic();
     ref->src_x = g->x_offset; ref->src_y = g->y_offset; ref->src_width = g->width ? g->width : img->width; ref->src_height = g->height ? g->height : img->height;
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ grman_update_layers(GraphicsManager *self, unsigned int scrolled_by, float scree
         if (ref->z_index < 0) self->num_of_negative_refs++; else self->num_of_positive_refs++;
         ensure_space_for(self, render_data, ImageRenderData, self->count + 1, capacity, 64, true);
         ImageRenderData *rd = self->render_data + self->count;
-        memset(rd, 0, sizeof(rd[0]));
+        zero_at_ptr(rd);
         set_vertex_data(rd, ref, &r);
         self->count++;
         rd->z_index = ref->z_index; rd->image_id = img->internal_id;
diff --git a/kitty/line-buf.c b/kitty/line-buf.c
index 87dff3ebe..0add07d87 100644
--- a/kitty/line-buf.c
+++ b/kitty/line-buf.c
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ clear_chars_to(LineBuf* linebuf, index_type y, char_type ch) {
 
 void
 linebuf_clear(LineBuf *self, char_type ch) {
-    memset(self->cpu_cell_buf, 0, self->xnum * self->ynum * sizeof(CPUCell));
-    memset(self->gpu_cell_buf, 0, self->xnum * self->ynum * sizeof(GPUCell));
-    memset(self->line_attrs, 0, self->ynum * sizeof(line_attrs_type));
+    zero_at_ptr_count(self->cpu_cell_buf, self->xnum * self->ynum);
+    zero_at_ptr_count(self->gpu_cell_buf, self->xnum * self->ynum);
+    zero_at_ptr_count(self->line_attrs, self->ynum);
     for (index_type i = 0; i < self->ynum; i++) self->line_map[i] = i;
     if (ch != 0) {
         for (index_type i = 0; i < self->ynum; i++) {
@@ -243,8 +243,8 @@ copy_line_to(LineBuf *self, PyObject *args) {
 
 static inline void
 clear_line_(Line *l, index_type xnum) {
-    memset(l->cpu_cells, 0, xnum * sizeof(CPUCell));
-    memset(l->gpu_cells, 0, xnum * sizeof(GPUCell));
+    zero_at_ptr_count(l->cpu_cells, xnum);
+    zero_at_ptr_count(l->gpu_cells, xnum);
     if (BLANK_CHAR != 0) clear_chars_in_line(l->cpu_cells, l->gpu_cells, xnum, BLANK_CHAR);
     l->has_dirty_text = false;
 }
diff --git a/kitty/parse-graphics-command.h b/kitty/parse-graphics-command.h
index 3139935e7..407580a70 100644
--- a/kitty/parse-graphics-command.h
+++ b/kitty/parse-graphics-command.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ static inline void parse_graphics_code(Screen *screen,
   unsigned int i, code;
   uint64_t lcode;
   bool is_negative;
-  memset(&g, 0, sizeof(g));
+  zero_at_ptr(&g);
   size_t sz;
   static uint8_t payload[4096];
 
diff --git a/kitty/state.c b/kitty/state.c
index f5f233d28..7ef7c6e3e 100644
--- a/kitty/state.c
+++ b/kitty/state.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ GlobalState global_state = {{0}};
     for (size_t i = 0; i < count; i++) { \
         if (array[i].id == qid) { \
             destroy(array + i); \
-            memset(array + i, 0, sizeof(array[0])); \
+            zero_at_i(array, i); \
             remove_i_from_array(array, i, count); \
             break; \
         } \
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ add_os_window() {
     WITH_OS_WINDOW_REFS
     ensure_space_for(&global_state, os_windows, OSWindow, global_state.num_os_windows + 1, capacity, 1, true);
     OSWindow *ans = global_state.os_windows + global_state.num_os_windows++;
-    memset(ans, 0, sizeof(OSWindow));
+    zero_at_ptr(ans);
     ans->id = ++global_state.os_window_id_counter;
     ans->tab_bar_render_data.vao_idx = create_cell_vao();
     ans->gvao_idx = create_graphics_vao();
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ add_tab(id_type os_window_id) {
     WITH_OS_WINDOW(os_window_id)
         make_os_window_context_current(os_window);
         ensure_space_for(os_window, tabs, Tab, os_window->num_tabs + 1, capacity, 1, true);
-        memset(os_window->tabs + os_window->num_tabs, 0, sizeof(Tab));
+        zero_at_i(os_window->tabs, os_window->num_tabs);
         os_window->tabs[os_window->num_tabs].id = ++global_state.tab_id_counter;
         os_window->tabs[os_window->num_tabs].border_rects.vao_idx = create_border_vao();
         return os_window->tabs[os_window->num_tabs++].id;
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ add_window(id_type os_window_id, id_type tab_id, PyObject *title) {
     WITH_TAB(os_window_id, tab_id);
         ensure_space_for(tab, windows, Window, tab->num_windows + 1, capacity, 1, true);
         make_os_window_context_current(osw);
-        memset(tab->windows + tab->num_windows, 0, sizeof(Window));
+        zero_at_i(tab->windows, tab->num_windows);
         tab->windows[tab->num_windows].id = ++global_state.window_id_counter;
         tab->windows[tab->num_windows].visible = true;
         tab->windows[tab->num_windows].title = title;
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ os_window_regions(OSWindow *os_window, Region *central, Region *tab_bar) {
                 break;
         }
     } else {
-        memset(tab_bar, 0, sizeof(Region));
+        zero_at_ptr(tab_bar);
         central->left = 0; central->top = 0; central->right = os_window->viewport_width - 1;
         central->bottom = os_window->viewport_height - 1;
     }