diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 62ad0c2758..8dd782fd88 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ all::
 # Define LIBPCREDIR=/foo/bar if your libpcre header and library files are in
 # /foo/bar/include and /foo/bar/lib directories.
 #
-# Define NO_CURL if you do not have libcurl installed.  git-http-pull and
+# Define NO_CURL if you do not have libcurl installed.  git-http-fetch and
 # git-http-push are not built, and you cannot use http:// and https://
-# transports.
+# transports (neither smart nor dumb).
 #
 # Define CURLDIR=/foo/bar if your curl header and library files are in
 # /foo/bar/include and /foo/bar/lib directories.
 #
 # Define NO_EXPAT if you do not have expat installed.  git-http-push is
-# not built, and you cannot push using http:// and https:// transports.
+# not built, and you cannot push using http:// and https:// transports (dumb).
 #
 # Define EXPATDIR=/foo/bar if your expat header and library files are in
 # /foo/bar/include and /foo/bar/lib directories.
diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index a1ea3db499..a59cac45d7 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -1121,9 +1121,8 @@ struct http_pack_request *new_http_pack_request(
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct http_pack_request *preq;
 
-	preq = xmalloc(sizeof(*preq));
+	preq = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*preq));
 	preq->target = target;
-	preq->range_header = NULL;
 
 	end_url_with_slash(&buf, base_url);
 	strbuf_addf(&buf, "objects/pack/pack-%s.pack",
@@ -1215,7 +1214,7 @@ struct http_object_request *new_http_object_request(const char *base_url,
 	struct curl_slist *range_header = NULL;
 	struct http_object_request *freq;
 
-	freq = xmalloc(sizeof(*freq));
+	freq = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*freq));
 	hashcpy(freq->sha1, sha1);
 	freq->localfile = -1;
 
@@ -1253,8 +1252,6 @@ struct http_object_request *new_http_object_request(const char *base_url,
 		goto abort;
 	}
 
-	memset(&freq->stream, 0, sizeof(freq->stream));
-
 	git_inflate_init(&freq->stream);
 
 	git_SHA1_Init(&freq->c);
@@ -1329,7 +1326,6 @@ struct http_object_request *new_http_object_request(const char *base_url,
 	return freq;
 
 abort:
-	free(filename);
 	free(freq->url);
 	free(freq);
 	return NULL;