diff --git a/servers/slapd/ad.c b/servers/slapd/ad.c
index 72808e851b..70e1412c25 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/ad.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/ad.c
@@ -175,8 +175,9 @@ int slap_bv2ad(
 	}
 
 	/* find valid base attribute type; parse in place */
-	memset( &desc, 0, sizeof( desc ) );
 	desc.ad_cname = *bv;
+	desc.ad_flags = 0;
+	BER_BVZERO( &desc.ad_tags );
 	name = bv->bv_val;
 	options = ber_bvchr( bv, ';' );
 	if ( options != NULL && (unsigned) ( options - name ) < bv->bv_len ) {
@@ -200,7 +201,6 @@ int slap_bv2ad(
 	 * parse options in place
 	 */
 	ntags = 0;
-	memset( tags, 0, sizeof( tags ));
 	tagslen = 0;
 	optn = bv->bv_val + bv->bv_len;