diff --git a/src/core/execute.c b/src/core/execute.c
index a08e3105bf..ed735a7660 100644
--- a/src/core/execute.c
+++ b/src/core/execute.c
@@ -4342,18 +4342,22 @@ void exec_context_free_log_extra_fields(ExecContext *c) {
 void exec_status_start(ExecStatus *s, pid_t pid) {
         assert(s);
 
-        zero(*s);
-        s->pid = pid;
+        *s = (ExecStatus) {
+                .pid = pid,
+        };
+
         dual_timestamp_get(&s->start_timestamp);
 }
 
 void exec_status_exit(ExecStatus *s, const ExecContext *context, pid_t pid, int code, int status) {
         assert(s);
 
-        if (s->pid && s->pid != pid)
-                zero(*s);
+        if (s->pid != pid) {
+                *s = (ExecStatus) {
+                        .pid = pid,
+                };
+        }
 
-        s->pid = pid;
         dual_timestamp_get(&s->exit_timestamp);
 
         s->code = code;
@@ -4361,7 +4365,7 @@ void exec_status_exit(ExecStatus *s, const ExecContext *context, pid_t pid, int
 
         if (context) {
                 if (context->utmp_id)
-                        utmp_put_dead_process(context->utmp_id, pid, code, status);
+                        (void) utmp_put_dead_process(context->utmp_id, pid, code, status);
 
                 exec_context_tty_reset(context, NULL);
         }