--- a/src/svlogd.c
+++ b/src/svlogd.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include "pmatch.h"
 #include "fmt_ptime.h"
 #include "alloc.h"
@@ -706,6 +707,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   coe(fdwdir);
   dir =(struct logdir*)alloc(dirn *sizeof(struct logdir));
   if (! dir) die_nomem();
+  memset(dir, 0, dirn * sizeof(struct logdir));
   for (i =0; i < dirn; ++i) {
     dir[i].fddir =-1; dir[i].fdcur =-1;
     dir[i].btmp =(char*)alloc(buflen *sizeof(char));