diff --git a/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c b/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c
index 92a42cb76e4a58e76322c407b227d86ca5c636eb..33c880b3ad3a2f487accab7ae8bdb9ba6bf6b35f 100644
--- a/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c
+++ b/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ int check_header_version(header_t * header)
  */
 void init_header(header_t *header, slurm_msg_t *msg, uint16_t flags)
 {
-	memset(header, 0, sizeof(header));
+	memset(header, 0, sizeof(header_t));
 	/* Since the slurmdbd could talk to a host of different
 	   versions of slurm this needs to be kept current when the
 	   protocol version changes. */