diff --git a/src/charset.c b/src/charset.c
index b86304024fe..971dafc2b9d 100644
--- a/src/charset.c
+++ b/src/charset.c
@@ -496,11 +496,9 @@ load_charset_map_from_file (struct charset *charset, Lisp_Object mapfile,
   set_unwind_protect_ptr (count, fclose_unwind, fp);
   unbind_to (specpdl_ref_add (count, 1), Qnil);
 
-  /* Use record_xmalloc, as `charset_map_entries' is
-     large (larger than MAX_ALLOCA).  */
-  head = record_xmalloc (sizeof *head);
-  entries = head;
-  memset (entries, 0, sizeof (struct charset_map_entries));
+  /* charset_map_entries is large, so don't SAFE_ALLOCA.  */
+  entries = head = xzalloc (sizeof *head);
+  record_unwind_protect_ptr (xfree, entries);
 
   n_entries = 0;
   int ch = -1;
@@ -532,9 +530,8 @@ load_charset_map_from_file (struct charset *charset, Lisp_Object mapfile,
 
       if (n_entries == 0x10000)
 	{
-	  entries->next = record_xmalloc (sizeof *entries->next);
-	  entries = entries->next;
-	  memset (entries, 0, sizeof (struct charset_map_entries));
+	  entries = entries->next = xzalloc (sizeof *entries->next);
+	  record_unwind_protect_ptr (xfree, entries);
 	  n_entries = 0;
 	}
       int idx = n_entries;
@@ -559,7 +556,7 @@ load_charset_map_from_vector (struct charset *charset, Lisp_Object vec, int cont
   int n_entries;
   int len = ASIZE (vec);
   int i;
-  USE_SAFE_ALLOCA;
+  specpdl_ref count = SPECPDL_INDEX ();
 
   if (len % 2 == 1)
     {
@@ -567,11 +564,9 @@ load_charset_map_from_vector (struct charset *charset, Lisp_Object vec, int cont
       return;
     }
 
-  /* Use SAFE_ALLOCA instead of alloca, as `charset_map_entries' is
-     large (larger than MAX_ALLOCA).  */
-  head = SAFE_ALLOCA (sizeof *head);
-  entries = head;
-  memset (entries, 0, sizeof (struct charset_map_entries));
+  /* charset_map_entries is large, so don't SAFE_ALLOCA.  */
+  entries = head = xzalloc (sizeof *head);
+  record_unwind_protect_ptr (xfree, entries);
 
   n_entries = 0;
   for (i = 0; i < len; i += 2)
@@ -600,9 +595,8 @@ load_charset_map_from_vector (struct charset *charset, Lisp_Object vec, int cont
 
       if (n_entries > 0 && (n_entries % 0x10000) == 0)
 	{
-	  entries->next = SAFE_ALLOCA (sizeof *entries->next);
-	  entries = entries->next;
-	  memset (entries, 0, sizeof (struct charset_map_entries));
+	  entries = entries->next = xzalloc (sizeof *entries->next);
+	  record_unwind_protect_ptr (xfree, entries);
 	}
       idx = n_entries % 0x10000;
       entries->entry[idx].from = from;
@@ -612,7 +606,7 @@ load_charset_map_from_vector (struct charset *charset, Lisp_Object vec, int cont
     }
 
   load_charset_map (charset, head, n_entries, control_flag);
-  SAFE_FREE ();
+  unbind_to (count, Qnil);
 }
 
 
@@ -852,14 +846,12 @@ usage: (define-charset-internal ...)  */)
   Lisp_Object val;
   struct Lisp_Hash_Table *hash_table = XHASH_TABLE (Vcharset_hash_table);
   int i, j;
-  struct charset charset;
+  struct charset charset = {0};
   int id;
   int dimension;
   bool new_definition_p;
   int nchars;
 
-  memset (&charset, 0, sizeof (charset));
-
   if (nargs != charset_arg_max)
     Fsignal (Qwrong_number_of_arguments,
 	     Fcons (Qdefine_charset_internal,