diff --git a/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c b/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c
index d3d54fac7b..7de8fae5b0 100644
--- a/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c
+++ b/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2009      Oak Ridge National Labs.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2013      Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
  *                         reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC const opal_datatype_t opal_datatype_bool =        OPAL_DATATYPE_IN
 OPAL_DECLSPEC const opal_datatype_t opal_datatype_wchar =       OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_WCHAR(0);
 OPAL_DECLSPEC const opal_datatype_t opal_datatype_unavailable = OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_UNAVAILABLE_NAMED(UNAVAILABLE, 0);
 
-OPAL_DECLSPEC dt_elem_desc_t opal_datatype_predefined_elem_desc[2 * OPAL_DATATYPE_MAX_PREDEFINED];
+OPAL_DECLSPEC dt_elem_desc_t opal_datatype_predefined_elem_desc[2 * OPAL_DATATYPE_MAX_PREDEFINED] = {{{{0}}}};
 
 /*
  * NOTE: The order of this array *MUST* match the order in opal_datatype_basicDatatypes
diff --git a/opal/dss/dss_open_close.c b/opal/dss/dss_open_close.c
index 19cfed3784..ebec81a719 100644
--- a/opal/dss/dss_open_close.c
+++ b/opal/dss/dss_open_close.c
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2013 Los Alamos National Security, Inc.  All rights reserved. 
  * Copyright (c) 2014      Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -32,10 +34,10 @@
  */
 bool opal_dss_initialized = false;
 int opal_dss_verbose = -1;  /* by default disabled */
-int opal_dss_initial_size;
-int opal_dss_threshold_size;
-opal_pointer_array_t opal_dss_types;
-opal_data_type_t opal_dss_num_reg_types;
+int opal_dss_initial_size = -1;
+int opal_dss_threshold_size = -1;
+opal_pointer_array_t opal_dss_types = {{0}};
+opal_data_type_t opal_dss_num_reg_types = {0};
 opal_dss_buffer_type_t default_buf_type = OPAL_DSS_BUFFER_NON_DESC;
 
 /* variable group id */
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/base/btl_base_frame.c b/opal/mca/btl/base/btl_base_frame.c
index 9e5262f2e7..4e7d6a334c 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/base/btl_base_frame.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/base/btl_base_frame.c
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2006-2007 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2008-2013 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@
 #include "opal/mca/btl/btl.h"
 #include "opal/mca/btl/base/base.h"
 
-mca_btl_active_message_callback_t mca_btl_base_active_message_trigger[MCA_BTL_TAG_MAX];
+mca_btl_active_message_callback_t mca_btl_base_active_message_trigger[MCA_BTL_TAG_MAX] = {{0}};
 
 /*
  *  mca_btl_base_descriptor_t
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ OBJ_CLASS_INSTANCE(
 char* mca_btl_base_include = NULL;
 char* mca_btl_base_exclude = NULL;
 int mca_btl_base_warn_component_unused = 1;
-opal_list_t mca_btl_base_modules_initialized;
+opal_list_t mca_btl_base_modules_initialized = {{0}};
 bool mca_btl_base_thread_multiple_override = false;
 
 static int mca_btl_base_register(mca_base_register_flag_t flags)
diff --git a/opal/mca/compress/base/compress_base_open.c b/opal/mca/compress/base/compress_base_open.c
index d81526c146..dfa4900409 100644
--- a/opal/mca/compress/base/compress_base_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/compress/base/compress_base_open.c
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
- *
  * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ opal_compress_base_module_t opal_compress = {
     NULL  /* decompress_nb    */
 };
 
-opal_compress_base_component_t opal_compress_base_selected_component;
+opal_compress_base_component_t opal_compress_base_selected_component = {{0}};
 
 static int opal_compress_base_register(mca_base_register_flag_t flags);
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c b/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c
index 6580cad105..bfdf4f947d 100644
--- a/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c
+++ b/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Evergrid, Inc. All rights reserved.
- *
- * Copyright (c) 2015 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -45,9 +46,9 @@
 #include "opal/mca/crs/crs.h"
 #include "opal/mca/crs/base/base.h"
 
-opal_crs_base_self_checkpoint_fn_t crs_base_self_checkpoint_fn;
-opal_crs_base_self_restart_fn_t    crs_base_self_restart_fn;
-opal_crs_base_self_continue_fn_t   crs_base_self_continue_fn;
+opal_crs_base_self_checkpoint_fn_t crs_base_self_checkpoint_fn = NULL;
+opal_crs_base_self_restart_fn_t    crs_base_self_restart_fn = NULL;
+opal_crs_base_self_continue_fn_t   crs_base_self_continue_fn = NULL;
 
 /******************
  * Local Functions
diff --git a/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_open.c b/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_open.c
index 8cd89a3b14..81576950dc 100644
--- a/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_open.c
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Evergrid, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  *
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ opal_crs_base_module_t opal_crs = {
     NULL  /* crs_reg_thread         */
 };
 
-opal_crs_base_component_t opal_crs_base_selected_component;
+opal_crs_base_component_t opal_crs_base_selected_component = {{0}};
 
 extern bool opal_crs_base_do_not_select;
 static int opal_crs_base_register(mca_base_register_flag_t flags);
diff --git a/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_frame.c b/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_frame.c
index 98d0a39074..6294c2608a 100644
--- a/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_frame.c
+++ b/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_frame.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2010      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved. 
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2013 Los Alamos National Security, Inc.  All rights reserved. 
  * Copyright (c) 2014      Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2014      Research Organization for Information Science
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Research Organization for Information Science
  *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ opal_dstore_base_API_t opal_dstore = {
     opal_dstore_base_remove_data,
     opal_dstore_base_get_handle
 };
-opal_dstore_base_t opal_dstore_base;
+opal_dstore_base_t opal_dstore_base = {0};
 
 int opal_dstore_internal = -1;
 int opal_dstore_modex = -1;
diff --git a/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c b/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c
index 7028911a29..6dde724ef9 100644
--- a/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c
+++ b/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2010-2013 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2015      Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@
 #include "opal/mca/if/base/static-components.h"
 
 /* instantiate the global list of interfaces */
-opal_list_t opal_if_list;
+opal_list_t opal_if_list = {{0}};
 bool opal_if_do_not_resolve = false;
 bool opal_if_retain_loopback = false;
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/installdirs/base/installdirs_base_components.c b/opal/mca/installdirs/base/installdirs_base_components.c
index 882b201279..4bf9f83ef2 100644
--- a/opal/mca/installdirs/base/installdirs_base_components.c
+++ b/opal/mca/installdirs/base/installdirs_base_components.c
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
  *                         reserved. 
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2010      Sandia National Laboratories. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@
 #include "opal/mca/installdirs/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/mca/installdirs/base/static-components.h"
 
-opal_install_dirs_t opal_install_dirs;
+opal_install_dirs_t opal_install_dirs = {0};
 
 #define CONDITIONAL_COPY(target, origin, field)                 \
     do {                                                        \
diff --git a/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_frame.c b/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_frame.c
index 1cf8c008c3..ea9cd6ca80 100644
--- a/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_frame.c
+++ b/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_frame.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2013      NVIDIA Corporation.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2014      Research Organization for Information Science
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Research Organization for Information Science
  *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@
 /* whether we actually used the mem hooks or not */
 int mca_mpool_base_used_mem_hooks = 0;
 
-uint32_t mca_mpool_base_page_size; 
-uint32_t mca_mpool_base_page_size_log;
+uint32_t mca_mpool_base_page_size = 0; 
+uint32_t mca_mpool_base_page_size_log = 0;
 
-opal_list_t mca_mpool_base_modules;
+opal_list_t mca_mpool_base_modules = {{0}};
 
 /**
  * Function for finding and opening either all MCA components, or the one
diff --git a/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_tree.c b/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_tree.c
index 55ec0dbb13..8fc3a47c9e 100644
--- a/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_tree.c
+++ b/opal/mca/mpool/base/mpool_base_tree.c
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2010      IBM Corporation.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2015 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -48,8 +50,8 @@ OBJ_CLASS_INSTANCE(mca_mpool_base_tree_item_t, opal_free_list_item_t, NULL, NULL
 /* 
  * use globals for the tree and the tree_item free list.. 
  */
-opal_rb_tree_t mca_mpool_base_tree; 
-opal_free_list_t mca_mpool_base_tree_item_free_list;
+opal_rb_tree_t mca_mpool_base_tree = {{0}}; 
+opal_free_list_t mca_mpool_base_tree_item_free_list = {{{0}}};
 static opal_mutex_t tree_lock;
 
 /*
diff --git a/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c b/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c
index b531713469..781321235a 100644
--- a/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c
+++ b/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ const opal_pmix_base_module_t opal_pmix_native_module = {
 
 // local variables
 static int init_cntr = 0;
-opal_process_name_t native_pname;
+opal_process_name_t native_pname = {0};
 static uint32_t sm_flag;
 
 static void unpack_segment_info(opal_buffer_t *buf, opal_process_name_t *id, char** seg_info)
diff --git a/opal/mca/rcache/base/rcache_base_frame.c b/opal/mca/rcache/base/rcache_base_frame.c
index 01cc1970b4..c963d550a1 100644
--- a/opal/mca/rcache/base/rcache_base_frame.c
+++ b/opal/mca/rcache/base/rcache_base_frame.c
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@
 /*
  * Global variables
  */
-opal_list_t mca_rcache_base_modules;
+opal_list_t mca_rcache_base_modules = {{0}};
 
 
 OBJ_CLASS_INSTANCE(mca_rcache_base_selected_module_t, opal_list_item_t, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/opal/mca/reachable/base/reachable_base_frame.c b/opal/mca/reachable/base/reachable_base_frame.c
index b4caee8103..d9781086ab 100644
--- a/opal/mca/reachable/base/reachable_base_frame.c
+++ b/opal/mca/reachable/base/reachable_base_frame.c
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2014      Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "opal/mca/reachable/base/static-components.h"
 
-opal_reachable_base_module_t opal_reachable;
+opal_reachable_base_module_t opal_reachable = {0};
 
 static int opal_reachable_base_frame_register(mca_base_register_flag_t flags)
 {
diff --git a/opal/mca/sec/base/sec_base_frame.c b/opal/mca/sec/base/sec_base_frame.c
index 127e20fa7a..b187964b1c 100644
--- a/opal/mca/sec/base/sec_base_frame.c
+++ b/opal/mca/sec/base/sec_base_frame.c
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Intel, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ opal_sec_API_module_t opal_sec = {
     opal_sec_base_get_cred,
     opal_sec_base_validate
 };
-opal_list_t opal_sec_base_actives;
+opal_list_t opal_sec_base_actives = {{0}};
 
 static int opal_sec_base_close(void)
 {
diff --git a/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c b/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c
index c89f6c8871..de6264dab5 100644
--- a/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ opal_timer_t (*opal_timer_base_get_cycles)(void) = opal_timer_base_get_cycles_sy
 opal_timer_t (*opal_timer_base_get_usec)(void) = opal_timer_base_get_usec_sys_timer;
 #endif  /* OPAL_HAVE_CLOCK_GETTIME */
 
-opal_timer_t opal_timer_linux_freq;
+opal_timer_t opal_timer_linux_freq = {0};
 
 static int opal_timer_linux_open(void);
 
diff --git a/opal/runtime/opal_init.c b/opal/runtime/opal_init.c
index f2f36179bb..a2b927e711 100644
--- a/opal/runtime/opal_init.c
+++ b/opal/runtime/opal_init.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ int opal_util_initialized = 0;
    hwloc is available, this value will be overwritten when the
    hwloc data is loaded. */
 int opal_cache_line_size = 128;
-bool opal_warn_on_fork;
+bool opal_warn_on_fork = true;
 
 static int
 opal_err2str(int errnum, const char **errmsg)
diff --git a/opal/runtime/opal_params.c b/opal/runtime/opal_params.c
index ff28a0cf84..d63e6b543b 100644
--- a/opal/runtime/opal_params.c
+++ b/opal/runtime/opal_params.c
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2010-2014 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2014      Hochschule Esslingen.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ bool opal_timing_overhead = true;
 #endif
 
 bool opal_built_with_cuda_support = OPAL_INT_TO_BOOL(OPAL_CUDA_SUPPORT);
-bool opal_cuda_support;
+bool opal_cuda_support = false;
 #if OPAL_ENABLE_FT_CR == 1
 bool opal_base_distill_checkpoint_ready = false;
 #endif
diff --git a/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c b/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c
index 784c36b451..b471390668 100644
--- a/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c
+++ b/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2006-2014 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.  All rights
  *                         reserved. 
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  *
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ static size_t callbacks_len = 0;
 static size_t callbacks_size = 0;
 
 /* do we want to call sched_yield() if nothing happened */
-bool opal_progress_yield_when_idle;
+bool opal_progress_yield_when_idle = false;
 
 #if OPAL_PROGRESS_USE_TIMERS
 static opal_timer_t event_progress_last_time = 0;
diff --git a/opal/util/error.c b/opal/util/error.c
index e8a631c8d8..f49393ff8f 100644
--- a/opal/util/error.c
+++ b/opal/util/error.c
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007-2015 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
  *                         reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ struct converter_info_t {
 typedef struct converter_info_t converter_info_t;
 
 /* all default to NULL */
-converter_info_t converters[MAX_CONVERTERS];
+converter_info_t converters[MAX_CONVERTERS] = {{0}};
 
 static int
 opal_strerror_int(int errnum, const char **str)
diff --git a/opal/util/output.c b/opal/util/output.c
index d7201636ee..e964d9d039 100644
--- a/opal/util/output.c
+++ b/opal/util/output.c
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2007-2008 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2015      Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
  *                         reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Research Organization for Information Science
+ *                         and Technology (RIST). All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -101,7 +103,7 @@ static int output(int output_id, const char *format, va_list arglist);
 
 /* global state */
 bool opal_output_redirected_to_syslog = false;
-int opal_output_redirected_syslog_pri;
+int opal_output_redirected_syslog_pri = -1;
 
 /*
  * Local state