diff --git a/kmod/src/data.c b/kmod/src/data.c
index 7903e8d7..e0d6ccd8 100644
--- a/kmod/src/data.c
+++ b/kmod/src/data.c
@@ -79,8 +79,10 @@ static void item_from_extent(struct scoutfs_key *key,
 		.skdx_end = cpu_to_le64(start + len - 1),
 		.skdx_len = cpu_to_le64(len),
 	};
-	dv->blkno = cpu_to_le64(map);
-	dv->flags = flags;
+	*dv = (struct scoutfs_data_extent_val) {
+		.blkno = cpu_to_le64(map),
+		.flags = flags,
+	};
 }
 
 static void ext_from_item(struct scoutfs_extent *ext,
diff --git a/kmod/src/dir.c b/kmod/src/dir.c
index d2343e58..efcdef24 100644
--- a/kmod/src/dir.c
+++ b/kmod/src/dir.c
@@ -587,10 +587,12 @@ static int add_entry_items(struct super_block *sb, u64 dir_ino, u64 hash,
 	}
 
 	/* initialize the dent */
-	dent->ino = cpu_to_le64(ino);
-	dent->hash = cpu_to_le64(hash);
-	dent->pos = cpu_to_le64(pos);
-	dent->type = mode_to_type(mode);
+	*dent = (struct scoutfs_dirent) {
+		.ino = cpu_to_le64(ino),
+		.hash = cpu_to_le64(hash),
+		.pos = cpu_to_le64(pos),
+		.type = mode_to_type(mode),
+	};
 	memcpy(dent->name, name, name_len);
 
 	init_dirent_key(&ent_key, SCOUTFS_DIRENT_TYPE, dir_ino, hash, pos);