diff --git a/drivers/net/wan/ixp4xx_hss.c b/drivers/net/wan/ixp4xx_hss.c
index 3c51ab239fb2..2cebbfca0bd1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wan/ixp4xx_hss.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wan/ixp4xx_hss.c
@@ -975,11 +975,10 @@ static int init_hdlc_queues(struct port *port)
 			return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	port->desc_tab = dma_pool_alloc(dma_pool, GFP_KERNEL,
+	port->desc_tab = dma_pool_zalloc(dma_pool, GFP_KERNEL,
 					&port->desc_tab_phys);
 	if (!port->desc_tab)
 		return -ENOMEM;
-	memset(port->desc_tab, 0, POOL_ALLOC_SIZE);
 	memset(port->rx_buff_tab, 0, sizeof(port->rx_buff_tab)); /* tables */
 	memset(port->tx_buff_tab, 0, sizeof(port->tx_buff_tab));