diff --git a/dix/privates.c b/dix/privates.c
index 62309d769..14ff91143 100644
--- a/dix/privates.c
+++ b/dix/privates.c
@@ -687,7 +687,6 @@ _dixInitScreenPrivates(ScreenPtr pScreen, PrivatePtr *privates, void *addr, DevP
 void *
 _dixAllocateScreenObjectWithPrivates(ScreenPtr pScreen,
                                      unsigned baseSize,
-                                     unsigned clear,
                                      unsigned offset,
                                      DevPrivateType type)
 {
@@ -708,11 +707,10 @@ _dixAllocateScreenObjectWithPrivates(ScreenPtr pScreen,
     /* round up so that pointer is aligned */
     baseSize = (baseSize + sizeof(void *) - 1) & ~(sizeof(void *) - 1);
     totalSize = baseSize + privates_size;
-    object = malloc(totalSize);
+    object = calloc(1, totalSize);
     if (!object)
         return NULL;
 
-    memset(object, '\0', clear);
     privates = (PrivatePtr) (((char *) object) + baseSize);
     devPrivates = (PrivatePtr *) ((char *) object + offset);
 
diff --git a/include/privates.h b/include/privates.h
index 6e1cfa02e..394e3d685 100644
--- a/include/privates.h
+++ b/include/privates.h
@@ -258,11 +258,10 @@ Bool dixPrivatesCreated(DevPrivateType type);
 extern _X_EXPORT void *
 _dixAllocateScreenObjectWithPrivates(ScreenPtr pScreen,
                                      unsigned size,
-                                     unsigned clear,
                                      unsigned offset,
                                      DevPrivateType type);
 
-#define dixAllocateScreenObjectWithPrivates(s, t, type) _dixAllocateScreenObjectWithPrivates(s, sizeof(t), sizeof(t), offsetof(t, devPrivates), type)
+#define dixAllocateScreenObjectWithPrivates(s, t, type) _dixAllocateScreenObjectWithPrivates(s, sizeof(t), offsetof(t, devPrivates), type)
 
 extern _X_EXPORT int
 dixScreenSpecificPrivatesSize(ScreenPtr pScreen, DevPrivateType type);