diff --git a/src/nvme/linux.c b/src/nvme/linux.c
index 5c48671a..095c0655 100644
--- a/src/nvme/linux.c
+++ b/src/nvme/linux.c
@@ -296,8 +296,8 @@ int nvme_get_new_host_telemetry(int fd, struct nvme_telemetry_log **log,
 
 int nvme_get_lba_status_log(int fd, bool rae, struct nvme_lba_status_log **log)
 {
+	_cleanup_free_ struct nvme_lba_status_log *buf = NULL;
 	__u32 size;
-	_cleanup_free_ struct nvme_lba_status_log *buf;
 	void *tmp;
 	int err;
 	struct nvme_get_log_args args = {
diff --git a/src/nvme/tree.c b/src/nvme/tree.c
index d3ce49d8..27363f53 100644
--- a/src/nvme/tree.c
+++ b/src/nvme/tree.c
@@ -1601,8 +1601,8 @@ nvme_ctrl_t __nvme_lookup_ctrl(nvme_subsystem_t s, const char *transport,
 			       const char *host_iface, const char *trsvcid,
 			       const char *subsysnqn, nvme_ctrl_t p)
 {
+	_cleanup_candidate_ struct candidate_args candidate = {};
 	struct nvme_ctrl *c, *matching_c = NULL;
-	_cleanup_candidate_ struct candidate_args candidate;
 	ctrl_match_t ctrl_match;
 
 	/* Init candidate and get the matching function to use */
@@ -1625,8 +1625,8 @@ bool nvme_ctrl_config_match(struct nvme_ctrl *c, const char *transport,
 			    const char *subsysnqn, const char *host_traddr,
 			    const char *host_iface)
 {
+	_cleanup_candidate_ struct candidate_args candidate = {};
 	ctrl_match_t ctrl_match;
-	_cleanup_candidate_ struct candidate_args candidate;
 
 	/* Init candidate and get the matching function to use */
 	ctrl_match = _candidate_init(&candidate, transport, traddr, trsvcid,