diff --git a/add-interactive.c b/add-interactive.c
index 1f3f8f72f8..36ebdbdf7e 100644
--- a/add-interactive.c
+++ b/add-interactive.c
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ struct file_item {
 
 static void add_file_item(struct string_list *files, const char *name)
 {
-	struct file_item *item = xcalloc(sizeof(*item), 1);
+	struct file_item *item = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*item));
 
 	string_list_append(files, name)->util = item;
 }
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ int run_add_i(struct repository *r, const struct pathspec *ps)
 	int res = 0;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(command_list); i++) {
-		struct command_item *util = xcalloc(sizeof(*util), 1);
+		struct command_item *util = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*util));
 		util->command = command_list[i].command;
 		string_list_append(&commands.items, command_list[i].string)
 			->util = util;
diff --git a/contrib/coccinelle/xcalloc.cocci b/contrib/coccinelle/xcalloc.cocci
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c291011607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/coccinelle/xcalloc.cocci
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+@@
+type T;
+T *ptr;
+expression n;
+@@
+  xcalloc(
++ n,
+  \( sizeof(T) \| sizeof(*ptr) \)
+- , n
+  )
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 643e69bda6..f0bd32f714 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -772,7 +772,8 @@ static int if_atom_handler(struct atom_value *atomv, struct ref_formatting_state
 			   struct strbuf *unused_err)
 {
 	struct ref_formatting_stack *new_stack;
-	struct if_then_else *if_then_else = xcalloc(sizeof(struct if_then_else), 1);
+	struct if_then_else *if_then_else = xcalloc(1,
+						    sizeof(struct if_then_else));
 
 	if_then_else->str = atomv->atom->u.if_then_else.str;
 	if_then_else->cmp_status = atomv->atom->u.if_then_else.cmp_status;
diff --git a/trailer.c b/trailer.c
index 53081650e0..be4e972642 100644
--- a/trailer.c
+++ b/trailer.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ static void print_all(FILE *outfile, struct list_head *head,
 
 static struct trailer_item *trailer_from_arg(struct arg_item *arg_tok)
 {
-	struct trailer_item *new_item = xcalloc(sizeof(*new_item), 1);
+	struct trailer_item *new_item = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*new_item));
 	new_item->token = arg_tok->token;
 	new_item->value = arg_tok->value;
 	arg_tok->token = arg_tok->value = NULL;
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ static void parse_trailer(struct strbuf *tok, struct strbuf *val,
 static struct trailer_item *add_trailer_item(struct list_head *head, char *tok,
 					     char *val)
 {
-	struct trailer_item *new_item = xcalloc(sizeof(*new_item), 1);
+	struct trailer_item *new_item = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*new_item));
 	new_item->token = tok;
 	new_item->value = val;
 	list_add_tail(&new_item->list, head);
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ static void add_arg_item(struct list_head *arg_head, char *tok, char *val,
 			 const struct conf_info *conf,
 			 const struct new_trailer_item *new_trailer_item)
 {
-	struct arg_item *new_item = xcalloc(sizeof(*new_item), 1);
+	struct arg_item *new_item = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*new_item));
 	new_item->token = tok;
 	new_item->value = val;
 	duplicate_conf(&new_item->conf, conf);