diff --git a/lib/dns/zone.c b/lib/dns/zone.c
index aab60751e8..8c145e50c4 100644
--- a/lib/dns/zone.c
+++ b/lib/dns/zone.c
@@ -989,14 +989,51 @@ inc_stats(dns_zone_t *zone, isc_statscounter_t counter) {
 isc_result_t
 dns_zone_create(dns_zone_t **zonep, isc_mem_t *mctx) {
 	isc_result_t result;
-	dns_zone_t *zone;
 	isc_time_t now;
+	dns_zone_t *zone = NULL;
+	dns_zone_t z = { .masterformat = dns_masterformat_none,
+			 .journalsize = -1,
+			 .rdclass = dns_rdataclass_none,
+			 .type = dns_zone_none,
+			 .refresh = DNS_ZONE_DEFAULTREFRESH,
+			 .retry = DNS_ZONE_DEFAULTRETRY,
+			 .maxrefresh = DNS_ZONE_MAXREFRESH,
+			 .minrefresh = DNS_ZONE_MINREFRESH,
+			 .maxretry = DNS_ZONE_MAXRETRY,
+			 .minretry = DNS_ZONE_MINRETRY,
+			 .notifytype = dns_notifytype_yes,
+			 .zero_no_soa_ttl = true,
+			 .check_names = dns_severity_ignore,
+			 .idlein = DNS_DEFAULT_IDLEIN,
+			 .idleout = DNS_DEFAULT_IDLEOUT,
+			 .notifysrc4dscp = -1,
+			 .notifysrc6dscp = -1,
+			 .xfrsource4dscp = -1,
+			 .xfrsource6dscp = -1,
+			 .altxfrsource4dscp = -1,
+			 .altxfrsource6dscp = -1,
+			 .maxxfrin = MAX_XFER_TIME,
+			 .maxxfrout = MAX_XFER_TIME,
+			 .sigvalidityinterval = 30 * 24 * 3600,
+			 .sigresigninginterval = 7 * 24 * 3600,
+			 .statlevel = dns_zonestat_none,
+			 .notifydelay = 5,
+			 .signatures = 10,
+			 .nodes = 100,
+			 .privatetype = (dns_rdatatype_t)0xffffU,
+			 .rpz_num = DNS_RPZ_INVALID_NUM,
+			 .requestixfr = true,
+			 .ixfr_ratio = 100,
+			 .requestexpire = true,
+			 .updatemethod = dns_updatemethod_increment,
+			 .magic = ZONE_MAGIC };
 
 	REQUIRE(zonep != NULL && *zonep == NULL);
 	REQUIRE(mctx != NULL);
 
 	TIME_NOW(&now);
 	zone = isc_mem_get(mctx, sizeof(*zone));
+	*zone = z;
 
 	zone->mctx = NULL;
 	isc_mem_attach(mctx, &zone->mctx);
@@ -1006,88 +1043,27 @@ dns_zone_create(dns_zone_t **zonep, isc_mem_t *mctx) {
 #ifdef DNS_ZONE_CHECKLOCK
 	zone->locked = false;
 #endif /* ifdef DNS_ZONE_CHECKLOCK */
-	zone->db = NULL;
-	zone->zmgr = NULL;
+
+	zone->notifytime = now;
+
 	ISC_LINK_INIT(zone, link);
 	isc_refcount_init(&zone->erefs, 1);
 	isc_refcount_init(&zone->irefs, 0);
 	dns_name_init(&zone->origin, NULL);
-	zone->strnamerd = NULL;
-	zone->strname = NULL;
-	zone->strrdclass = NULL;
-	zone->strviewname = NULL;
-	zone->masterfile = NULL;
-	zone->stream = NULL;
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->includes);
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->newincludes);
-	zone->nincludes = 0;
-	zone->masterformat = dns_masterformat_none;
-	zone->masterstyle = NULL;
-	zone->keydirectory = NULL;
-	zone->journalsize = -1;
-	zone->journal = NULL;
-	zone->rdclass = dns_rdataclass_none;
-	zone->type = dns_zone_none;
 	atomic_init(&zone->flags, 0);
 	atomic_init(&zone->options, 0);
 	atomic_init(&zone->keyopts, 0);
-	zone->db_argc = 0;
-	zone->db_argv = NULL;
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->expiretime);
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->refreshtime);
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->dumptime);
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->loadtime);
-	zone->notifytime = now;
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->resigntime);
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->keywarntime);
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->signingtime);
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->nsec3chaintime);
 	isc_time_settoepoch(&zone->refreshkeytime);
-	zone->refreshkeyinterval = 0;
-	zone->refreshkeycount = 0;
-	zone->refresh = DNS_ZONE_DEFAULTREFRESH;
-	zone->retry = DNS_ZONE_DEFAULTRETRY;
-	zone->expire = 0;
-	zone->minimum = 0;
-	zone->maxrefresh = DNS_ZONE_MAXREFRESH;
-	zone->minrefresh = DNS_ZONE_MINREFRESH;
-	zone->maxretry = DNS_ZONE_MAXRETRY;
-	zone->minretry = DNS_ZONE_MINRETRY;
-	zone->masters = NULL;
-	zone->masterdscps = NULL;
-	zone->masterkeynames = NULL;
-	zone->mastertlsnames = NULL;
-	zone->mastersok = NULL;
-	zone->masterscnt = 0;
-	zone->curmaster = 0;
-	zone->soattl = 0;
-	zone->maxttl = 0;
-	zone->notify = NULL;
-	zone->notifykeynames = NULL;
-	zone->notifytlsnames = NULL;
-	zone->notifydscp = NULL;
-	zone->notifytype = dns_notifytype_yes;
-	zone->notifycnt = 0;
-	zone->task = NULL;
-	zone->loadtask = NULL;
-	zone->update_acl = NULL;
-	zone->forward_acl = NULL;
-	zone->notify_acl = NULL;
-	zone->query_acl = NULL;
-	zone->queryon_acl = NULL;
-	zone->xfr_acl = NULL;
-	zone->update_disabled = false;
-	zone->zero_no_soa_ttl = true;
-	zone->check_names = dns_severity_ignore;
-	zone->request = NULL;
-	zone->lctx = NULL;
-	zone->readio = NULL;
-	zone->dctx = NULL;
-	zone->writeio = NULL;
-	zone->timer = NULL;
-	zone->idlein = DNS_DEFAULT_IDLEIN;
-	zone->idleout = DNS_DEFAULT_IDLEOUT;
-	zone->log_key_expired_timer = 0;
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->notifies);
 	isc_sockaddr_any(&zone->notifysrc4);
 	isc_sockaddr_any6(&zone->notifysrc6);
@@ -1095,74 +1071,14 @@ dns_zone_create(dns_zone_t **zonep, isc_mem_t *mctx) {
 	isc_sockaddr_any6(&zone->xfrsource6);
 	isc_sockaddr_any(&zone->altxfrsource4);
 	isc_sockaddr_any6(&zone->altxfrsource6);
-	zone->notifysrc4dscp = -1;
-	zone->notifysrc6dscp = -1;
-	zone->xfrsource4dscp = -1;
-	zone->xfrsource6dscp = -1;
-	zone->altxfrsource4dscp = -1;
-	zone->altxfrsource6dscp = -1;
-	zone->xfr = NULL;
-	zone->tsigkey = NULL;
-	zone->transport = NULL;
-	zone->maxxfrin = MAX_XFER_TIME;
-	zone->maxxfrout = MAX_XFER_TIME;
-	zone->ssutable = NULL;
-	zone->sigvalidityinterval = 30 * 24 * 3600;
-	zone->keyvalidityinterval = 0;
-	zone->sigresigninginterval = 7 * 24 * 3600;
-	zone->kasp = NULL;
-	zone->view = NULL;
-	zone->prev_view = NULL;
-	zone->checkmx = NULL;
-	zone->checksrv = NULL;
-	zone->checkns = NULL;
 	ISC_LINK_INIT(zone, statelink);
-	zone->statelist = NULL;
-	zone->stats = NULL;
-	zone->requeststats_on = false;
-	zone->statlevel = dns_zonestat_none;
-	zone->requeststats = NULL;
-	zone->rcvquerystats = NULL;
-	zone->dnssecsignstats = NULL;
-	zone->notifydelay = 5;
-	zone->isself = NULL;
-	zone->isselfarg = NULL;
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->signing);
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->nsec3chain);
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->setnsec3param_queue);
-	zone->signatures = 10;
-	zone->nodes = 100;
-	zone->privatetype = (dns_rdatatype_t)0xffffU;
-	zone->added = false;
-	zone->automatic = false;
-	zone->rpzs = NULL;
-	zone->rpz_num = DNS_RPZ_INVALID_NUM;
-
-	zone->catzs = NULL;
-	zone->parentcatz = NULL;
-
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->forwards);
-	zone->raw = NULL;
-	zone->secure = NULL;
-	zone->sourceserial = 0;
-	zone->sourceserialset = false;
-	zone->requestixfr = true;
-	zone->ixfr_ratio = 100;
-	zone->requestexpire = true;
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->rss_events);
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(zone->rss_post);
-	zone->rss_db = NULL;
-	zone->rss_raw = NULL;
-	zone->rss_newver = NULL;
-	zone->rss_oldver = NULL;
-	zone->rss_event = NULL;
-	zone->rss_state = NULL;
-	zone->updatemethod = dns_updatemethod_increment;
-	zone->maxrecords = 0U;
 
-	zone->magic = ZONE_MAGIC;
-
-	zone->gluecachestats = NULL;
 	result = isc_stats_create(mctx, &zone->gluecachestats,
 				  dns_gluecachestatscounter_max);
 	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {