diff --git a/src/xpdev/str_list.c b/src/xpdev/str_list.c
index e8a647ed970dde7ae3eb8b592312293cea8e83d2..e5b64deeee4f6d5010a2b176bd23552d9f7c0382 100644
--- a/src/xpdev/str_list.c
+++ b/src/xpdev/str_list.c
@@ -343,7 +343,6 @@ char* DLLCALL strListCombine(str_list_t list, char* buf, size_t maxlen, const ch
 	if(maxlen<1)
 		return(NULL);
 
-	memset(buf, 0, maxlen);
 	if(list==NULL)
 		return buf;
 
@@ -351,6 +350,7 @@ char* DLLCALL strListCombine(str_list_t list, char* buf, size_t maxlen, const ch
 		if((buf=(char*)malloc(maxlen))==NULL)
 			return(NULL);
 
+	memset(buf, 0, maxlen);
 	*buf=0;
 	end=buf+maxlen;
 	for(i=0, ptr=buf; list[i]!=NULL && buf<end; i++)