diff --git a/src/vlibapi/vat_helper_macros.h b/src/vlibapi/vat_helper_macros.h
index 5e7f108..fd2e563 100644
--- a/src/vlibapi/vat_helper_macros.h
+++ b/src/vlibapi/vat_helper_macros.h
@@ -77,12 +77,14 @@
   socket_client_main_t *scm = &vam->socket_client_main;         \
   if (scm->socket_enable)                                       \
     {                                                           \
-      msgbuf_t msgbuf;                                          \
+      msgbuf_t msgbuf =                                         \
+        {                                                       \
+          .q = 0,                                               \
+          .gc_mark_timestamp = 0,                               \
+          .data_len = htonl(scm->socket_tx_nbytes),             \
+        };                                                      \
                                                                 \
-      msgbuf.q = 0;                                             \
-      msgbuf.gc_mark_timestamp = 0;                             \
-      msgbuf.data_len = ntohl(scm->socket_tx_nbytes);           \
-                                                                \
+      /* coverity[UNINIT] */                                    \
       n = write (scm->socket_fd, &msgbuf, sizeof (msgbuf));     \
       if (n < sizeof (msgbuf))                                  \
         clib_unix_warning ("socket write (msgbuf)");            \
diff --git a/src/vlibmemory/socket_client.c b/src/vlibmemory/socket_client.c
index 8519e7f..b60fd4f 100644
--- a/src/vlibmemory/socket_client.c
+++ b/src/vlibmemory/socket_client.c
@@ -166,16 +166,16 @@
 
   mbp = (msgbuf_t *) buffer;
   mbp->q = 0;
-  mbp->data_len = ntohl (sizeof (*mp));
+  mbp->data_len = htonl (sizeof (*mp));
   mbp->gc_mark_timestamp = 0;
 
   mp = (vl_api_sockclnt_create_t *) mbp->data;
-  mp->_vl_msg_id = ntohs (VL_API_SOCKCLNT_CREATE);
+  mp->_vl_msg_id = htons (VL_API_SOCKCLNT_CREATE);
   strncpy ((char *) mp->name, client_name, sizeof (mp->name) - 1);
   mp->name[sizeof (mp->name) - 1] = 0;
   mp->context = 0xfeedface;
 
-  n = write (scm->socket_fd, mbp, sizeof (*mbp) + ntohl (mbp->data_len));
+  n = write (scm->socket_fd, mbp, sizeof (*mbp) + sizeof (*mp));
   if (n < 0)
     {
       clib_unix_warning ("socket write (msg)");