diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/slip_common.h b/arch/um/drivers/slip_common.h
index 2ae76d8f1be1..d574e0a9dc13 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/slip_common.h
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/slip_common.h
@@ -88,12 +88,13 @@ struct slip_proto {
 	int esc;
 };
 
-#define SLIP_PROTO_INIT { \
-	.ibuf  	= { '\0' }, \
-	.obuf  	= { '\0' }, \
-        .more	= 0, \
-	.pos	= 0, \
-	.esc	= 0 \
+static inline void slip_proto_init(struct slip_proto * slip)
+{
+	memset(slip->ibuf, 0, sizeof(slip->ibuf));
+	memset(slip->obuf, 0, sizeof(slip->obuf));
+	slip->more = 0;
+	slip->pos = 0;
+	slip->esc = 0;
 }
 
 extern int slip_proto_read(int fd, void *buf, int len,
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/slip_kern.c b/arch/um/drivers/slip_kern.c
index 9a6f5c85f902..a62f5ef445cf 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/slip_kern.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/slip_kern.c
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@ void slip_init(struct net_device *dev, void *data)
 
 	private = dev->priv;
 	spri = (struct slip_data *) private->user;
-	*spri = ((struct slip_data)
-		{ .name 	= { '\0' },
-		  .addr		= NULL,
-		  .gate_addr 	= init->gate_addr,
-		  .slave  	= -1,
-		  .slip		= SLIP_PROTO_INIT,
-		  .dev 		= dev });
+
+	memset(spri->name, 0, sizeof(spri->name));
+	spri->addr = NULL;
+	spri->gate_addr = init->gate_addr;
+	spri->slave = -1;
+	spri->dev = dev;
+
+	slip_proto_init(&spri->slip);
 
 	dev->init = NULL;
 	dev->header_cache_update = NULL;
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/slirp_kern.c b/arch/um/drivers/slirp_kern.c
index 9864d27afdbe..33d7982be5d3 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/slirp_kern.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/slirp_kern.c
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@ void slirp_init(struct net_device *dev, void *data)
 
 	private = dev->priv;
 	spri = (struct slirp_data *) private->user;
-	*spri = ((struct slirp_data)
-		{ .argw 	= init->argw,
-		  .pid  	= -1,
-		  .slave  	= -1,
-		  .slip		= SLIP_PROTO_INIT,
-		  .dev 		= dev });
+
+	spri->argw = init->argw;
+	spri->pid = -1;
+	spri->slave = -1;
+	spri->dev = dev;
+
+	slip_proto_init(&spri->slip);
 
 	dev->init = NULL;
 	dev->hard_header_len = 0;