diff --git a/drivers/usb/misc/auerswald.c b/drivers/usb/misc/auerswald.c
index 6c7f3efb1d40..b5332e679c46 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/misc/auerswald.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/misc/auerswald.c
@@ -1376,7 +1376,7 @@ static int auerchar_open (struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	}
 
 	/* we have access to the device. Now lets allocate memory */
-	ccp = (pauerchar_t) kmalloc(sizeof(auerchar_t), GFP_KERNEL);
+	ccp = kzalloc(sizeof(auerchar_t), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (ccp == NULL) {
 		err ("out of memory");
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
@@ -1384,7 +1384,6 @@ static int auerchar_open (struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	}
 
 	/* Initialize device descriptor */
-	memset( ccp, 0, sizeof(auerchar_t));
 	init_MUTEX( &ccp->mutex);
 	init_MUTEX( &ccp->readmutex);
         auerbuf_init (&ccp->bufctl);
@@ -1912,14 +1911,13 @@ static int auerswald_probe (struct usb_interface *intf,
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	/* allocate memory for our device and initialize it */
-	cp = kmalloc (sizeof(auerswald_t), GFP_KERNEL);
+	cp = kzalloc (sizeof(auerswald_t), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (cp == NULL) {
 		err ("out of memory");
 		goto pfail;
 	}
 
 	/* Initialize device descriptor */
-	memset (cp, 0, sizeof(auerswald_t));
 	init_MUTEX (&cp->mutex);
 	cp->usbdev = usbdev;
 	auerchain_init (&cp->controlchain);