diff --git a/dix/colormap.c b/dix/colormap.c
index c21623cd1..47c6c51e3 100644
--- a/dix/colormap.c
+++ b/dix/colormap.c
@@ -398,9 +398,8 @@ CreateColormap (Colormap mid, ScreenPtr pScreen, VisualPtr pVisual,
 	pmap->devPrivates = NULL;
     else
     {
-	pmap->devPrivates = (DevUnion *) xalloc (
-	    colormapPrivateCount * sizeof(DevUnion));
-
+	pmap->devPrivates = (DevUnion *) xcalloc (
+	    sizeof(DevUnion), colormapPrivateCount);
 	if (!pmap->devPrivates)
 	{
 	    FreeResource (mid, RT_NONE);
diff --git a/dix/privates.c b/dix/privates.c
index 933810517..1e04a7b22 100644
--- a/dix/privates.c
+++ b/dix/privates.c
@@ -347,10 +347,13 @@ AllocateColormapPrivateIndex (InitCmapPrivFunc initPrivFunc)
 	{
 	    privs = (DevUnion *) xrealloc (pColormap->devPrivates,
 		colormapPrivateCount * sizeof(DevUnion));
-    
+	    if (!privs) {
+		colormapPrivateCount--;
+		return -1;
+	    }
+	    bzero(&privs[index], sizeof(DevUnion));
 	    pColormap->devPrivates = privs;
-    
-	    if (!privs || !(*initPrivFunc)(pColormap,index))
+	    if (!(*initPrivFunc)(pColormap,index))
 	    {
 		colormapPrivateCount--;
 		return -1;