diff --git a/lib/passfd.c b/lib/passfd.c
index 573b80e..8b1e68f 100644
--- a/lib/passfd.c
+++ b/lib/passfd.c
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ sendfd (int sock, int fd)
   struct msghdr msg;
 
   /* send at least one char */
+  memset(&msg, 0, sizeof(msg));
+  memset(&iov, 0, sizeof(struct iovec));
   iov[0].iov_base = &send;
   iov[0].iov_len = 1;
   msg.msg_iov = iov;
@@ -101,6 +103,8 @@ recvfd (int sock, int flags)
     }
 
   /* send at least one char */
+  memset(&msg, 0, sizeof(msg));
+  memset(&iov, 0, sizeof(struct iovec));
   iov[0].iov_base = &recv;
   iov[0].iov_len = 1;
   msg.msg_iov = iov;
@@ -168,6 +172,12 @@ recvfd (int sock, int flags)
     msg.msg_accrightslen = sizeof (fd);
     if (recvmsg (sock, &msg, 0) < 0)
       return -1;
+    /* be paranoiac */
+    if(msg.msg_accrightslen != sizeof (fd))
+      {
+        errno = EIO;
+        return -1;
+      }
 
     /* set close-on-exec flag */
     if (flags & O_CLOEXEC)