diff --git a/include/haproxy/server.h b/include/haproxy/server.h
index 19f0017fd..dc0e263c8 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/server.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/server.h
@@ -179,6 +179,23 @@ void srv_set_dyncookie(struct server *s);
 int srv_check_reuse_ws(struct server *srv);
 const struct mux_ops *srv_get_ws_proto(struct server *srv);
 
+/* allocate a new server and return it (or NULL on failure). The structure is
+ * zeroed.
+ */
+static inline struct server *srv_alloc(void)
+{
+	struct server *srv;
+
+	srv = calloc(1, sizeof(*srv));
+	return srv;
+}
+
+/* free a previously allocated server an nullifies the pointer */
+static inline void srv_free(struct server **srv_ptr)
+{
+	ha_free(srv_ptr);
+}
+
 /* increase the number of cumulated streams on the designated server */
 static inline void srv_inc_sess_ctr(struct server *s)
 {
diff --git a/src/cli.c b/src/cli.c
index 9895b819e..09a356c00 100644
--- a/src/cli.c
+++ b/src/cli.c
@@ -3726,7 +3726,7 @@ error:
 	list_for_each_entry(child, &proc_list, list) {
 		free((char *)child->srv->conf.file); /* cast because of const char *  */
 		free(child->srv->id);
-		ha_free(&child->srv);
+		srv_free(&child->srv);
 	}
 	free(msg);
 
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index caa33be2f..2bcd87f6f 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ void deinit_proxy(struct proxy *p)
 	 */
 	if (p->defsrv) {
 		srv_free_params(p->defsrv);
-		ha_free(&p->defsrv);
+		srv_free(&p->defsrv);
 	}
 
 	if (p->lbprm.proxy_deinit)
@@ -1560,7 +1560,7 @@ void proxy_free_defaults(struct proxy *defproxy)
 	if (defproxy->defsrv)
 		ha_free((char **)&defproxy->defsrv->conf.file);
 	ha_free(&defproxy->defbe.name);
-	ha_free(&defproxy->defsrv);
+	srv_free(&defproxy->defsrv);
 
 	h = defproxy->req_cap;
 	while (h) {
@@ -1708,7 +1708,7 @@ int setup_new_proxy(struct proxy *px, const char *name, unsigned int cap, char *
 	if (name)
 		memprintf(errmsg, "proxy '%s': %s", name, *errmsg);
 
-	ha_free(&px->defsrv);
+	srv_free(&px->defsrv);
 	ha_free(&px->id);
 	counters_fe_shared_drop(&px->fe_counters.shared);
 	counters_be_shared_drop(&px->be_counters.shared);
@@ -1740,7 +1740,7 @@ struct proxy *alloc_new_proxy(const char *name, unsigned int cap, char **errmsg)
 	 * quitting.
 	 */
 	if (curproxy)
-		free(curproxy->defsrv);
+		srv_free(&curproxy->defsrv);
 	free(curproxy);
 	return NULL;
 }
@@ -1802,7 +1802,7 @@ static int proxy_defproxy_cpy(struct proxy *curproxy, const struct proxy *defpro
 			 * none allocated yet in the current proxy so we have
 			 * to allocate and pre-initialize it right now.
 			 */
-			curproxy->defsrv = calloc(1, sizeof(*curproxy->defsrv));
+			curproxy->defsrv = srv_alloc();
 			if (!curproxy->defsrv) {
 				memprintf(errmsg, "proxy '%s': out of memory allocating default-server", curproxy->id);
 				return 1;
@@ -2833,7 +2833,7 @@ static int post_section_px_cleanup()
 
 		if (curproxy->defsrv) {
 			ha_free((char **)&curproxy->defsrv->conf.file);
-			ha_free(&curproxy->defsrv);
+			srv_free(&curproxy->defsrv);
 		}
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index c299d202b..3d270e8c2 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -3042,7 +3042,7 @@ struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy)
 {
 	struct server *srv;
 
-	srv = calloc(1, sizeof *srv);
+	srv = srv_alloc();
 	if (!srv)
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -3202,7 +3202,7 @@ struct server *srv_drop(struct server *srv)
 
 	EXTRA_COUNTERS_FREE(srv->extra_counters);
 
-	ha_free(&srv);
+	srv_free(&srv);
 
  end:
 	return next;
@@ -3354,7 +3354,7 @@ static int _srv_parse_tmpl_init(struct server *srv, struct proxy *px)
 		free_check(&newsrv->check);
 		MT_LIST_DELETE(&newsrv->global_list);
 	}
-	free(newsrv);
+	srv_free(&newsrv);
 	return i - srv->tmpl_info.nb_low;
 }
 
@@ -3712,7 +3712,7 @@ static int _srv_parse_init(struct server **srv, char **args, int *cur_arg,
 		 */
 		newsrv = curproxy->defsrv;
 		if (!newsrv) {
-			newsrv = calloc(1, sizeof(*newsrv));
+			newsrv = srv_alloc();
 			if (!newsrv) {
 				ha_alert("out of memory.\n");
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;