diff --git a/add-interactive.c b/add-interactive.c
index 36ebdbdf7e..6498ae196f 100644
--- a/add-interactive.c
+++ b/add-interactive.c
@@ -102,8 +102,12 @@ struct prefix_item_list {
 	int *selected; /* for multi-selections */
 	size_t min_length, max_length;
 };
-#define PREFIX_ITEM_LIST_INIT \
-	{ STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP, NULL, 1, 4 }
+#define PREFIX_ITEM_LIST_INIT { \
+	.items = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, \
+	.sorted = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP, \
+	.min_length = 1, \
+	.max_length = 4, \
+}
 
 static void prefix_item_list_clear(struct prefix_item_list *list)
 {
diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 5336daf186..57f0992515 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ struct module_list {
 	const struct cache_entry **entries;
 	int alloc, nr;
 };
-#define MODULE_LIST_INIT { NULL, 0, 0 }
+#define MODULE_LIST_INIT { 0 }
 
 static int module_list_compute(int argc, const char **argv,
 			       const char *prefix,
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ struct init_cb {
 	const char *prefix;
 	unsigned int flags;
 };
-#define INIT_CB_INIT { NULL, 0 }
+#define INIT_CB_INIT { 0 }
 
 static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 			   unsigned int flags)
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ struct status_cb {
 	const char *prefix;
 	unsigned int flags;
 };
-#define STATUS_CB_INIT { NULL, 0 }
+#define STATUS_CB_INIT { 0 }
 
 static void print_status(unsigned int flags, char state, const char *path,
 			 const struct object_id *oid, const char *displaypath)
@@ -911,13 +911,13 @@ struct module_cb {
 	char status;
 	const char *sm_path;
 };
-#define MODULE_CB_INIT { 0, 0, NULL, NULL, '\0', NULL }
+#define MODULE_CB_INIT { 0 }
 
 struct module_cb_list {
 	struct module_cb **entries;
 	int alloc, nr;
 };
-#define MODULE_CB_LIST_INIT { NULL, 0, 0 }
+#define MODULE_CB_LIST_INIT { 0 }
 
 struct summary_cb {
 	int argc;
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ struct summary_cb {
 	unsigned int files: 1;
 	int summary_limit;
 };
-#define SUMMARY_CB_INIT { 0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
+#define SUMMARY_CB_INIT { 0 }
 
 enum diff_cmd {
 	DIFF_INDEX,
@@ -1334,7 +1334,7 @@ struct sync_cb {
 	const char *prefix;
 	unsigned int flags;
 };
-#define SYNC_CB_INIT { NULL, 0 }
+#define SYNC_CB_INIT { 0 }
 
 static void sync_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 			   unsigned int flags)
@@ -1480,7 +1480,7 @@ struct deinit_cb {
 	const char *prefix;
 	unsigned int flags;
 };
-#define DEINIT_CB_INIT { NULL, 0 }
+#define DEINIT_CB_INIT { 0 }
 
 static void deinit_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 			     unsigned int flags)
@@ -1647,8 +1647,9 @@ struct submodule_alternate_setup {
 	} error_mode;
 	struct string_list *reference;
 };
-#define SUBMODULE_ALTERNATE_SETUP_INIT { NULL, \
-	SUBMODULE_ALTERNATE_ERROR_IGNORE, NULL }
+#define SUBMODULE_ALTERNATE_SETUP_INIT { \
+	.error_mode = SUBMODULE_ALTERNATE_ERROR_IGNORE, \
+}
 
 static const char alternate_error_advice[] = N_(
 "An alternate computed from a superproject's alternate is invalid.\n"
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index f6295f3b04..794237515b 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1668,7 +1668,9 @@ struct cache_def {
 	int track_flags;
 	int prefix_len_stat_func;
 };
-#define CACHE_DEF_INIT { STRBUF_INIT, 0, 0, 0 }
+#define CACHE_DEF_INIT { \
+	.path = STRBUF_INIT, \
+}
 static inline void cache_def_clear(struct cache_def *cache)
 {
 	strbuf_release(&cache->path);
diff --git a/cbtree.h b/cbtree.h
index a04a312c3f..dedbb8e2a4 100644
--- a/cbtree.h
+++ b/cbtree.h
@@ -37,11 +37,12 @@ enum cb_next {
 	CB_BREAK = 1
 };
 
-#define CBTREE_INIT { .root = NULL }
+#define CBTREE_INIT { 0 }
 
 static inline void cb_init(struct cb_tree *t)
 {
-	t->root = NULL;
+	struct cb_tree blank = CBTREE_INIT;
+	memcpy(t, &blank, sizeof(*t));
 }
 
 struct cb_node *cb_lookup(struct cb_tree *, const uint8_t *k, size_t klen);
diff --git a/checkout.c b/checkout.c
index 6586e30ca5..2e39dae684 100644
--- a/checkout.c
+++ b/checkout.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ struct tracking_name_data {
 	struct object_id *default_dst_oid;
 };
 
-#define TRACKING_NAME_DATA_INIT { NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL }
+#define TRACKING_NAME_DATA_INIT { 0 }
 
 static int check_tracking_name(struct remote *remote, void *cb_data)
 {
diff --git a/contrib/credential/gnome-keyring/git-credential-gnome-keyring.c b/contrib/credential/gnome-keyring/git-credential-gnome-keyring.c
index d389bfadce..5927e27ae6 100644
--- a/contrib/credential/gnome-keyring/git-credential-gnome-keyring.c
+++ b/contrib/credential/gnome-keyring/git-credential-gnome-keyring.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ struct credential {
 	char *password;
 };
 
-#define CREDENTIAL_INIT { NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL }
+#define CREDENTIAL_INIT { 0 }
 
 typedef int (*credential_op_cb)(struct credential *);
 
diff --git a/contrib/credential/libsecret/git-credential-libsecret.c b/contrib/credential/libsecret/git-credential-libsecret.c
index e6598b6383..2c5d76d789 100644
--- a/contrib/credential/libsecret/git-credential-libsecret.c
+++ b/contrib/credential/libsecret/git-credential-libsecret.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ struct credential {
 	char *password;
 };
 
-#define CREDENTIAL_INIT { NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL }
+#define CREDENTIAL_INIT { 0 }
 
 typedef int (*credential_op_cb)(struct credential *);
 
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index c8f530ffdb..861282db1c 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -775,13 +775,13 @@ struct emitted_diff_symbol {
 	int indent_width; /* The visual width of the indentation */
 	enum diff_symbol s;
 };
-#define EMITTED_DIFF_SYMBOL_INIT {NULL}
+#define EMITTED_DIFF_SYMBOL_INIT { 0 }
 
 struct emitted_diff_symbols {
 	struct emitted_diff_symbol *buf;
 	int nr, alloc;
 };
-#define EMITTED_DIFF_SYMBOLS_INIT {NULL, 0, 0}
+#define EMITTED_DIFF_SYMBOLS_INIT { 0 }
 
 static void append_emitted_diff_symbol(struct diff_options *o,
 				       struct emitted_diff_symbol *e)
diff --git a/entry.h b/entry.h
index 7c889e58fd..2254c62727 100644
--- a/entry.h
+++ b/entry.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ struct checkout {
 		 clone:1,
 		 refresh_cache:1;
 };
-#define CHECKOUT_INIT { NULL, "" }
+#define CHECKOUT_INIT { .base_dir = "" }
 
 #define TEMPORARY_FILENAME_LENGTH 25
 /*
diff --git a/list.h b/list.h
index eb601192f4..362a4cd7f5 100644
--- a/list.h
+++ b/list.h
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ struct list_head {
 #define INIT_LIST_HEAD(ptr) \
 	(ptr)->next = (ptr)->prev = (ptr)
 
-#define LIST_HEAD_INIT(name) { &(name), &(name) }
+#define LIST_HEAD_INIT(name) { \
+	.next = &(name), \
+	.prev = &(name), \
+}
 
 /* Add new element at the head of the list. */
 static inline void list_add(struct list_head *newp, struct list_head *head)
diff --git a/lockfile.h b/lockfile.h
index db93e6ba73..90af4e66b2 100644
--- a/lockfile.h
+++ b/lockfile.h
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ struct lock_file {
 	struct tempfile *tempfile;
 };
 
-#define LOCK_INIT { NULL }
+#define LOCK_INIT { 0 }
 
 /* String appended to a filename to derive the lockfile name: */
 #define LOCK_SUFFIX ".lock"
diff --git a/object-store.h b/object-store.h
index c5130d8bae..1e647a5be3 100644
--- a/object-store.h
+++ b/object-store.h
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ struct object_info {
  * Initializer for a "struct object_info" that wants no items. You may
  * also memset() the memory to all-zeroes.
  */
-#define OBJECT_INFO_INIT {NULL}
+#define OBJECT_INFO_INIT { 0 }
 
 /* Invoke lookup_replace_object() on the given hash */
 #define OBJECT_INFO_LOOKUP_REPLACE 1
diff --git a/object.h b/object.h
index 549f2d256b..cb556ab775 100644
--- a/object.h
+++ b/object.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ struct object_array {
 	} *objects;
 };
 
-#define OBJECT_ARRAY_INIT { 0, 0, NULL }
+#define OBJECT_ARRAY_INIT { 0 }
 
 /*
  * object flag allocation:
diff --git a/oid-array.h b/oid-array.h
index 72bca78b7d..f60f9af674 100644
--- a/oid-array.h
+++ b/oid-array.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ struct oid_array {
 	int sorted;
 };
 
-#define OID_ARRAY_INIT { NULL, 0, 0, 0 }
+#define OID_ARRAY_INIT { 0 }
 
 /**
  * Add an item to the set. The object ID will be placed at the end of the array
diff --git a/path.h b/path.h
index 251c78d980..b68691a86b 100644
--- a/path.h
+++ b/path.h
@@ -181,10 +181,7 @@ struct path_cache {
 	const char *shallow;
 };
 
-#define PATH_CACHE_INIT                                        \
-	{                                                      \
-		NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL \
-	}
+#define PATH_CACHE_INIT { 0 }
 
 const char *git_path_squash_msg(struct repository *r);
 const char *git_path_merge_msg(struct repository *r);
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 93ce2a6ef2..eee4f9b17c 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ static struct {
 	 */
 };
 
-#define REF_FORMATTING_STATE_INIT  { 0, NULL }
+#define REF_FORMATTING_STATE_INIT  { 0 }
 
 struct ref_formatting_stack {
 	struct ref_formatting_stack *prev;
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 31e141b01f..f958543d70 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -2403,7 +2403,7 @@ struct reflog_commit_array {
 	size_t nr, alloc;
 };
 
-#define REFLOG_COMMIT_ARRAY_INIT { NULL, 0, 0 }
+#define REFLOG_COMMIT_ARRAY_INIT { 0 }
 
 /* Append a commit to the array. */
 static void append_commit(struct reflog_commit_array *arr,
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 0dabb5a0bc..73e5004d60 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ struct commit_stack {
 	struct commit **items;
 	size_t nr, alloc;
 };
-#define COMMIT_STACK_INIT { NULL, 0, 0 }
+#define COMMIT_STACK_INIT { 0 }
 
 static void commit_stack_push(struct commit_stack *stack, struct commit *commit)
 {
diff --git a/sequencer.h b/sequencer.h
index 2088344cb3..259d4eb4a8 100644
--- a/sequencer.h
+++ b/sequencer.h
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ struct todo_list {
 	struct stat_data stat;
 };
 
-#define TODO_LIST_INIT { STRBUF_INIT }
+#define TODO_LIST_INIT { \
+	.buf = STRBUF_INIT, \
+}
 
 int todo_list_parse_insn_buffer(struct repository *r, char *buf,
 				struct todo_list *todo_list);
diff --git a/shallow.h b/shallow.h
index 5b4a96dcd6..aba6ff5829 100644
--- a/shallow.h
+++ b/shallow.h
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ int is_repository_shallow(struct repository *r);
 struct shallow_lock {
 	struct lock_file lock;
 };
-#define SHALLOW_LOCK_INIT { LOCK_INIT }
+#define SHALLOW_LOCK_INIT { \
+	.lock = LOCK_INIT, \
+}
 
 /* commit $GIT_DIR/shallow and reset stat-validity checks */
 int commit_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct shallow_lock *lk);
diff --git a/simple-ipc.h b/simple-ipc.h
index 2c48a5ee00..08b2908d5f 100644
--- a/simple-ipc.h
+++ b/simple-ipc.h
@@ -65,11 +65,7 @@ struct ipc_client_connect_options {
 	unsigned int uds_disallow_chdir:1;
 };
 
-#define IPC_CLIENT_CONNECT_OPTIONS_INIT { \
-	.wait_if_busy = 0, \
-	.wait_if_not_found = 0, \
-	.uds_disallow_chdir = 0, \
-}
+#define IPC_CLIENT_CONNECT_OPTIONS_INIT { 0 }
 
 /*
  * Determine if a server is listening on this named pipe or socket using
diff --git a/strbuf.h b/strbuf.h
index 5b1113abf8..3b36bbc49f 100644
--- a/strbuf.h
+++ b/strbuf.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ struct strbuf {
 };
 
 extern char strbuf_slopbuf[];
-#define STRBUF_INIT  { .alloc = 0, .len = 0, .buf = strbuf_slopbuf }
+#define STRBUF_INIT  { .buf = strbuf_slopbuf }
 
 /*
  * Predeclare this here, since cache.h includes this file before it defines the
diff --git a/strvec.h b/strvec.h
index 6b3cbd6758..9f55c8766b 100644
--- a/strvec.h
+++ b/strvec.h
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ struct strvec {
 	size_t alloc;
 };
 
-#define STRVEC_INIT { empty_strvec, 0, 0 }
+#define STRVEC_INIT { \
+	.v = empty_strvec, \
+}
 
 /**
  * Initialize an array. This is no different than assigning from
diff --git a/submodule-config.h b/submodule-config.h
index c11e22cf50..65875b94ea 100644
--- a/submodule-config.h
+++ b/submodule-config.h
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ struct submodule {
 	struct object_id gitmodules_oid;
 	int recommend_shallow;
 };
-
-#define SUBMODULE_INIT { NULL, NULL, NULL, RECURSE_SUBMODULES_NONE, \
-	NULL, NULL, SUBMODULE_UPDATE_STRATEGY_INIT, { { 0 } }, -1 };
-
 struct submodule_cache;
 struct repository;
 
diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index 78aed03d92..03cf36707a 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -1321,9 +1321,11 @@ struct submodule_parallel_fetch {
 
 	struct strbuf submodules_with_errors;
 };
-#define SPF_INIT {0, STRVEC_INIT, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, \
-		  STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, \
-		  NULL, 0, 0, STRBUF_INIT}
+#define SPF_INIT { \
+	.args = STRVEC_INIT, \
+	.changed_submodule_names = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, \
+	.submodules_with_errors = STRBUF_INIT, \
+}
 
 static int get_fetch_recurse_config(const struct submodule *submodule,
 				    struct submodule_parallel_fetch *spf)
diff --git a/submodule.h b/submodule.h
index 4578e501b8..6bd2c99fd9 100644
--- a/submodule.h
+++ b/submodule.h
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ struct submodule_update_strategy {
 	enum submodule_update_type type;
 	const char *command;
 };
-#define SUBMODULE_UPDATE_STRATEGY_INIT {SM_UPDATE_UNSPECIFIED, NULL}
+#define SUBMODULE_UPDATE_STRATEGY_INIT { \
+	.type = SM_UPDATE_UNSPECIFIED, \
+}
 
 int is_gitmodules_unmerged(struct index_state *istate);
 int is_writing_gitmodules_ok(void);
diff --git a/t/helper/test-run-command.c b/t/helper/test-run-command.c
index 14c57365e7..3c4fb86223 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-run-command.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-run-command.c
@@ -60,8 +60,10 @@ struct testsuite {
 	int next;
 	int quiet, immediate, verbose, verbose_log, trace, write_junit_xml;
 };
-#define TESTSUITE_INIT \
-	{ STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
+#define TESTSUITE_INIT { \
+	.tests = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, \
+	.failed = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, \
+}
 
 static int next_test(struct child_process *cp, struct strbuf *err, void *cb,
 		     void **task_cb)
diff --git a/trace.h b/trace.h
index 0dbbad0e41..e25984051a 100644
--- a/trace.h
+++ b/trace.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ struct trace_key {
 
 extern struct trace_key trace_default_key;
 
-#define TRACE_KEY_INIT(name) { "GIT_TRACE_" #name, 0, 0, 0 }
+#define TRACE_KEY_INIT(name) { .key = "GIT_TRACE_" #name }
 extern struct trace_key trace_perf_key;
 extern struct trace_key trace_setup_key;
 
diff --git a/transport.h b/transport.h
index 1cbab11373..8bb4c8bbc8 100644
--- a/transport.h
+++ b/transport.h
@@ -262,7 +262,9 @@ struct transport_ls_refs_options {
 	 */
 	char *unborn_head_target;
 };
-#define TRANSPORT_LS_REFS_OPTIONS_INIT { STRVEC_INIT }
+#define TRANSPORT_LS_REFS_OPTIONS_INIT { \
+	.ref_prefixes = STRVEC_INIT, \
+}
 
 /*
  * Retrieve refs from a remote.