diff --git a/dirs.c b/dirs.c
index 2498995200..9629ddc8c1 100644
--- a/dirs.c
+++ b/dirs.c
@@ -108,8 +108,7 @@ bool dir_free_shader(void)
  **/
 void dir_check_shader(bool pressed_next, bool pressed_prev)
 {
-
-   char msg[128]                   = {0};
+   char msg[128];
    const char *shader              = NULL;
    enum rarch_shader_type type     = RARCH_SHADER_NONE;
    struct rarch_dir_list *dir_list = (struct rarch_dir_list*)&dir_shader_list;
@@ -153,6 +152,8 @@ void dir_check_shader(bool pressed_next, bool pressed_prev)
          return;
    }
 
+   msg[0] = '\0';
+
    snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "%s #%u: \"%s\".",
          msg_hash_to_str(MSG_SHADER),
          (unsigned)dir_list->ptr, shader);
@@ -336,7 +337,8 @@ void dir_set(enum rarch_dir_type type, const char *path)
 
 static void check_defaults_dir_create_dir(const char *path)
 {
-   char new_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
+   char new_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+   new_path[0] = '\0';
    fill_pathname_expand_special(new_path,
          path, sizeof(new_path));
 
diff --git a/libretro-common/file/archive_file.c b/libretro-common/file/archive_file.c
index 766b198a13..4a623557f9 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/archive_file.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/archive_file.c
@@ -274,8 +274,10 @@ static int file_archive_extract_cb(const char *name, const char *valid_exts,
 static int file_archive_parse_file_init(file_archive_transfer_t *state,
       const char *file)
 {
+   char path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    char *last                 = NULL;
-   char path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
+
+   path[0] = '\0';
 
    strlcpy(path, file, sizeof(path));
 
@@ -796,11 +798,11 @@ const struct file_archive_file_backend* file_archive_get_file_backend(const char
 uint32_t file_archive_get_file_crc32(const char *path)
 {
    const struct file_archive_file_backend *backend = file_archive_get_file_backend(path);
-   file_archive_transfer_t state = {0};
-   struct archive_extract_userdata userdata = {{0}};
-   bool returnerr = false;
-   bool contains_compressed = false;
-   const char *archive_path = NULL;
+   file_archive_transfer_t state                   = {0};
+   struct archive_extract_userdata userdata        = {{0}};
+   bool returnerr                                  = false;
+   bool contains_compressed                        = false;
+   const char *archive_path                        = NULL;
 
    if (!backend)
       return 0;
diff --git a/paths.c b/paths.c
index e6c1cf669a..ba337ea7f0 100644
--- a/paths.c
+++ b/paths.c
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ static char path_core_options_file[PATH_MAX_LENGTH]     = {0};
 
 void path_set_redirect(void)
 {
-   char new_savefile_dir[PATH_MAX_LENGTH]      = {0};
-   char new_savestate_dir[PATH_MAX_LENGTH]     = {0};
+   char new_savefile_dir[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+   char new_savestate_dir[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    uint32_t library_name_hash                  = 0;
    bool check_library_name_hash                = false;
    rarch_system_info_t      *info              = NULL;
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ void path_set_redirect(void)
    const char *old_savefile_dir                = dir_get(RARCH_DIR_SAVEFILE);
    const char *old_savestate_dir               = dir_get(RARCH_DIR_SAVESTATE);
 
+   new_savefile_dir[0] = new_savestate_dir[0]  = '\0';
+
    runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_SYSTEM_INFO_GET, &info);
 
    if (info && info->info.library_name &&
@@ -321,12 +323,14 @@ static bool path_init_subsystem(void)
          for (j = 0; j < info->roms[i].num_memory; j++)
          {
             union string_list_elem_attr attr;
-            char path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
-            char ext[32] = {0};
+            char path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+            char ext[32];
             const struct retro_subsystem_memory_info *mem =
                (const struct retro_subsystem_memory_info*)
                &info->roms[i].memory[j];
 
+            path[0] = ext[0] = '\0';
+
             snprintf(ext, sizeof(ext), ".%s", mem->extension);
 
             if (path_is_directory(dir_get(RARCH_DIR_SAVEFILE)))
@@ -693,7 +697,9 @@ void path_clear_all(void)
 
 enum rarch_content_type path_is_media_type(const char *path)
 {
-   char ext_lower[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
+   char ext_lower[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+
+   ext_lower[0] = '\0';
 
    strlcpy(ext_lower, path_get_extension(path), sizeof(ext_lower));