diff --git a/kernel/module.c b/kernel/module.c
index a1d2ed8bab93..79a526dd1b11 100644
--- a/kernel/module.c
+++ b/kernel/module.c
@@ -2285,7 +2285,7 @@ static void layout_symtab(struct module *mod, struct load_info *info)
 	Elf_Shdr *symsect = info->sechdrs + info->index.sym;
 	Elf_Shdr *strsect = info->sechdrs + info->index.str;
 	const Elf_Sym *src;
-	unsigned int i, nsrc, ndst, strtab_size;
+	unsigned int i, nsrc, ndst, strtab_size = 0;
 
 	/* Put symbol section at end of init part of module. */
 	symsect->sh_flags |= SHF_ALLOC;
@@ -2296,9 +2296,6 @@ static void layout_symtab(struct module *mod, struct load_info *info)
 	src = (void *)info->hdr + symsect->sh_offset;
 	nsrc = symsect->sh_size / sizeof(*src);
 
-	/* strtab always starts with a nul, so offset 0 is the empty string. */
-	strtab_size = 1;
-
 	/* Compute total space required for the core symbols' strtab. */
 	for (ndst = i = 0; i < nsrc; i++) {
 		if (i == 0 ||
@@ -2340,7 +2337,6 @@ static void add_kallsyms(struct module *mod, const struct load_info *info)
 	mod->core_symtab = dst = mod->module_core + info->symoffs;
 	mod->core_strtab = s = mod->module_core + info->stroffs;
 	src = mod->symtab;
-	*s++ = 0;
 	for (ndst = i = 0; i < mod->num_symtab; i++) {
 		if (i == 0 ||
 		    is_core_symbol(src+i, info->sechdrs, info->hdr->e_shnum)) {