diff --git a/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c b/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c
index e7e4c35ab13feb08747d9c6684f4a91551d59a78..62e2d687fb75ea3222dac3ef548ef7cb620fd6b4 100644
--- a/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c
+++ b/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ 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. */