diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index 461c28fcb..ca3afea98 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ void run_applet_by_name(const char *name, int argc, char **argv);
  * to have the prototypes here unconditionally.  */
 extern void *xmalloc(size_t size);
 extern void *xrealloc(void *old, size_t size);
+extern void *xzalloc(size_t size);
 extern void *xcalloc(size_t nmemb, size_t size);
 
 extern char *bb_xstrdup (const char *s);
diff --git a/libbb/xfuncs.c b/libbb/xfuncs.c
index fa6aa0f9f..d3c9e41e1 100644
--- a/libbb/xfuncs.c
+++ b/libbb/xfuncs.c
@@ -37,6 +37,15 @@ void *xrealloc(void *ptr, size_t size)
 }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef L_xzalloc
+void *xzalloc(size_t size)
+{
+	void *ptr = xmalloc(size);
+	memset(ptr, 0, size);
+	return ptr;
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifdef L_xcalloc
 void *xcalloc(size_t nmemb, size_t size)
 {