diff --git a/src/or/circuit.c b/src/or/circuit.c
index 5c2a263561..7849bda7fb 100644
--- a/src/or/circuit.c
+++ b/src/or/circuit.c
@@ -58,8 +58,7 @@ void circuit_remove(circuit_t *circ) {
 circuit_t *circuit_new(circ_id_t p_circ_id, connection_t *p_conn) {
   circuit_t *circ; 
 
-  circ = (circuit_t *)tor_malloc(sizeof(circuit_t));
-  memset(circ,0,sizeof(circuit_t)); /* zero it out */
+  circ = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(circuit_t));
 
   circ->timestamp_created = time(NULL);
 
diff --git a/src/or/connection.c b/src/or/connection.c
index 299bd9ab00..e4685b787b 100644
--- a/src/or/connection.c
+++ b/src/or/connection.c
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ connection_t *connection_new(int type) {
   connection_t *conn;
   time_t now = time(NULL);
 
-  conn = (connection_t *)tor_malloc(sizeof(connection_t));
-  memset(conn,0,sizeof(connection_t)); /* zero it out to start */
+  conn = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(connection_t));
   conn->s = -1; /* give it a default of 'not used' */
 
   conn->type = type;
@@ -86,8 +85,7 @@ connection_t *connection_new(int type) {
     conn->outbuf = buf_new();
   }
   if (type == CONN_TYPE_AP) {
-    conn->socks_request = tor_malloc(sizeof(socks_request_t));
-    memset(conn->socks_request, 0, sizeof(socks_request_t));
+    conn->socks_request = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(socks_request_t));
   }
 
   conn->timestamp_created = now;
@@ -264,7 +262,7 @@ int connection_connect(connection_t *conn, char *address, uint32_t addr, uint16_
   }
   set_socket_nonblocking(s);
 
-  memset((void *)&dest_addr,0,sizeof(dest_addr));
+  memset(&dest_addr,0,sizeof(dest_addr));
   dest_addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
   dest_addr.sin_port = htons(port);
   dest_addr.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(addr);
diff --git a/src/or/connection_edge.c b/src/or/connection_edge.c
index 4d36e07573..d28d6c1b26 100644
--- a/src/or/connection_edge.c
+++ b/src/or/connection_edge.c
@@ -672,7 +672,8 @@ static int connection_ap_handshake_socks_reply(connection_t *conn, char *reply,
     buf[1] = success ? SOCKS5_SUCCESS : SOCKS5_GENERIC_ERROR;
     buf[2] = 0;
     buf[3] = 1; /* ipv4 addr */
-    memset(buf+4,0,6); /* XXX set external addr/port to 0, see what breaks */
+    memset(buf+4,0,6); /* Set external addr/port to 0.
+                          The spec doesn't seem to say what to do here. -RD */
     connection_write_to_buf(buf,10,conn);
     return flush_buf(conn->s, conn->outbuf, &conn->outbuf_flushlen); /* try to flush it */
   }
diff --git a/src/or/dirserv.c b/src/or/dirserv.c
index 74fef0d64d..42f1d57fa4 100644
--- a/src/or/dirserv.c
+++ b/src/or/dirserv.c
@@ -340,9 +340,8 @@ list_running_servers(char **nicknames_out)
   for (i = 0; i<n; ++i) {
     length += strlen(nickname_lst[i]);
   }
-  *nicknames_out = tor_malloc(length);
+  *nicknames_out = tor_malloc_zero(length);
   cp = *nicknames_out;
-  memset(cp,0,length);
   for (i = 0; i<n; ++i) {
     if (i)
       strcat(cp, " ");
diff --git a/src/or/dns.c b/src/or/dns.c
index 1199f7cc7c..94dd0dd72d 100644
--- a/src/or/dns.c
+++ b/src/or/dns.c
@@ -127,8 +127,7 @@ int dns_resolve(connection_t *exitconn) {
         return -1;
     }
   } else { /* need to add it */
-    resolve = tor_malloc(sizeof(struct cached_resolve));
-    memset(resolve, 0, sizeof(struct cached_resolve));
+    resolve = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(struct cached_resolve));
     resolve->state = CACHE_STATE_PENDING;
     resolve->expire = now + 15*60; /* 15 minutes */
     strncpy(resolve->question, exitconn->address, MAX_ADDRESSLEN);
diff --git a/src/or/onion.c b/src/or/onion.c
index 8cb2cddbe5..b50dd2bdc6 100644
--- a/src/or/onion.c
+++ b/src/or/onion.c
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ static int ol_length=0;
 int onion_pending_add(circuit_t *circ) {
   struct onion_queue_t *tmp;
 
-  tmp = tor_malloc(sizeof(struct onion_queue_t));
-  memset(tmp, 0, sizeof(struct onion_queue_t));
+  tmp = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(struct onion_queue_t));
   tmp->circ = circ;
 
   if(!ol_tail) {
@@ -460,8 +459,7 @@ int onion_extend_cpath(crypt_path_t **head_ptr, cpath_build_state_t *state, rout
   }
  
   /* Okay, so we haven't used 'choice' before. */
-  hop = (crypt_path_t *)tor_malloc(sizeof(crypt_path_t));
-  memset(hop, 0, sizeof(crypt_path_t));
+  hop = (crypt_path_t *)tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(crypt_path_t));
 
   /* link hop into the cpath, at the end. */
   if (*head_ptr) {
diff --git a/src/or/routers.c b/src/or/routers.c
index 9d6bc002f4..7ad0bb4247 100644
--- a/src/or/routers.c
+++ b/src/or/routers.c
@@ -763,8 +763,7 @@ routerinfo_t *router_get_entry_from_string(char**s) {
     return NULL;
   }
 
-  router = tor_malloc(sizeof(routerinfo_t));
-  memset(router,0,sizeof(routerinfo_t)); /* zero it out first */
+  router = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(routerinfo_t));
   router->onion_pkey = router->identity_pkey = router->link_pkey = NULL; 
 
   if (tok->val.cmd.n_args != 6) {
@@ -970,9 +969,8 @@ static int router_add_exit_policy(routerinfo_t *router,
     return -1;
   arg = tok->val.cmd.args[0];
 
-  newe = tor_malloc(sizeof(struct exit_policy_t));
-  memset(newe,0,sizeof(struct exit_policy_t));
-  
+  newe = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(struct exit_policy_t));
+
   newe->string = tor_malloc(8+strlen(arg));
   if (tok->tp == K_REJECT) {
     strcpy(newe->string, "reject ");