diff --git a/core_info.c b/core_info.c
index dffca57782..fc434cda72 100644
--- a/core_info.c
+++ b/core_info.c
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ static core_info_list_t *core_info_list_new(const char *path,
       const char *exts,
       bool dir_show_hidden_files)
 {
-   struct string_list contents;
    size_t i;
+   struct string_list contents      = {0};
    core_info_t *core_info           = NULL;
    core_info_list_t *core_info_list = NULL;
    const char       *path_basedir   = libretro_info_dir;
diff --git a/gfx/drivers_shader/slang_process.cpp b/gfx/drivers_shader/slang_process.cpp
index e74d66fbd5..aee1f7843d 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers_shader/slang_process.cpp
+++ b/gfx/drivers_shader/slang_process.cpp
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ bool slang_preprocess_parse_parameters(const char *shader_path,
       struct video_shader *shader)
 {
    glslang_meta meta;
-   struct string_list lines;
+   struct string_list lines = {0};
    
    if (!string_list_initialize(&lines))
       goto error;
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_deferred_push.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_deferred_push.c
index 9e209ab907..f5504881f0 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_deferred_push.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_deferred_push.c
@@ -536,9 +536,9 @@ static int general_push(menu_displaylist_info_t *info,
       case PUSH_ARCHIVE_OPEN_DETECT_CORE:
       case PUSH_DETECT_CORE_LIST:
          {
-            struct string_list str_list2;
             union string_list_elem_attr attr;
             char newstring[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+            struct string_list str_list2     = {0};
             struct retro_system_info *system = runloop_get_libretro_system_info();
 
             newstring[0]                     = '\0';
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index 8aa8d2bffa..2a7cdbf645 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -11529,7 +11529,7 @@ bool menu_displaylist_ctl(enum menu_displaylist_ctl_state type,
          menu_entries_ctl(MENU_ENTRIES_CTL_CLEAR, info->list);
 #if defined(HAVE_CG) || defined(HAVE_GLSL) || defined(HAVE_SLANG) || defined(HAVE_HLSL)
          {
-            struct string_list str_list;
+            struct string_list str_list = {0};
             char new_exts[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
             union string_list_elem_attr attr;
 
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 86a4cdc068..675e887050 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -11384,7 +11384,7 @@ void path_set_special(char **argv, unsigned num_content)
    unsigned i;
    char str[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    union string_list_elem_attr attr;
-   struct string_list subsystem_paths;
+   struct string_list subsystem_paths  = {0};
    struct rarch_state         *p_rarch = &rarch_st;
    global_t   *global                  = &p_rarch->g_extern;
    const char *savestate_dir           = p_rarch->current_savestate_dir;
@@ -30041,7 +30041,7 @@ bool audio_driver_mixer_extension_supported(const char *ext)
    bool ret                      = false;
 
    attr.i = 0;
-   if (string_list_initialize(&str_list))
+   if (!string_list_initialize(&str_list))
       return false;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_STB_VORBIS