diff --git a/include/decl.h b/include/decl.h
index 37d78675d..335eaec92 100644
--- a/include/decl.h
+++ b/include/decl.h
@@ -1199,7 +1199,6 @@ struct const_globals {
     const struct obj zeroobj;      /* used to zero out a struct obj */
     const struct monst zeromonst;  /* used to zero out a struct monst */
     const anything zeroany;        /* used to zero out union any */
-    const struct rm zerorm;        /* used to zero out struct rm */
 };
 
 E const struct const_globals cg;
diff --git a/src/bones.c b/src/bones.c
index d7341a869..50e3b2b3e 100644
--- a/src/bones.c
+++ b/src/bones.c
@@ -482,7 +482,9 @@ struct obj *corpse;
     /* Clear all memory from the level. */
     for (x = 1; x < COLNO; x++)
         for (y = 0; y < ROWNO; y++) {
-            levl[x][y] = cg.zerorm;
+            levl[x][y].seenv = 0;
+            levl[x][y].waslit = 0;
+            levl[x][y].glyph = GLYPH_UNEXPLORED;
             g.lastseentyp[x][y] = 0;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/decl.c b/src/decl.c
index 91b922f79..6bf82e986 100644
--- a/src/decl.c
+++ b/src/decl.c
@@ -699,7 +699,6 @@ const struct const_globals cg = {
     DUMMY, /* zeroobj */
     DUMMY, /* zeromonst */
     DUMMY, /* zeroany */
-    { GLYPH_UNEXPLORED, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 },
 };
 
 #define ZERO(x) memset(&x, 0, sizeof(x))
diff --git a/src/mklev.c b/src/mklev.c
index 505a89968..85127f6cc 100644
--- a/src/mklev.c
+++ b/src/mklev.c
@@ -585,6 +585,8 @@ makevtele()
 void
 clear_level_structures()
 {
+    static struct rm zerorm = { GLYPH_UNEXPLORED,
+                                0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
     register int x, y;
     register struct rm *lev;
 
@@ -595,7 +597,7 @@ clear_level_structures()
     for (x = 0; x < COLNO; x++) {
         lev = &levl[x][0];
         for (y = 0; y < ROWNO; y++) {
-            *lev++ = cg.zerorm;
+            *lev++ = zerorm;
             /*
              * These used to be '#if MICROPORT_BUG',
              * with use of memset(0) for '#if !MICROPORT_BUG' below,
diff --git a/src/read.c b/src/read.c
index 1b909a5bf..544a12874 100644
--- a/src/read.c
+++ b/src/read.c
@@ -804,7 +804,9 @@ int howmuch;
         for (zy = 0; zy < ROWNO; zy++)
             if (howmuch & ALL_MAP || rn2(7)) {
                 /* Zonk all memory of this location. */
-                levl[zx][zy] = cg.zerorm;
+                levl[zx][zy].seenv = 0;
+                levl[zx][zy].waslit = 0;
+                levl[zx][zy].glyph = GLYPH_UNEXPLORED;
                 g.lastseentyp[zx][zy] = STONE;
             }
     /* forget overview data for this level */
diff --git a/src/save.c b/src/save.c
index 4ed4bcde0..a026fc172 100644
--- a/src/save.c
+++ b/src/save.c
@@ -579,7 +579,8 @@ xchar lev;
             for (x = 0; x < COLNO; x++) {
                 g.level.monsters[x][y] = 0;
                 g.level.objects[x][y] = 0;
-                levl[x][y] = cg.zerorm;
+                levl[x][y].seenv = 0;
+                levl[x][y].glyph = GLYPH_UNEXPLORED;
             }
         fmon = 0;
         g.ftrap = 0;