diff --git a/include/core/database.h b/include/core/database.h
index 63c84916..0510e8d5 100644
--- a/include/core/database.h
+++ b/include/core/database.h
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ struct database {
 	const struct db_ops *db_ops; /* The database's operations vector.     */
 };
 
+#define DB_INIT(fname, autosave, ops)						\
+	{									\
+		.db_size     = 0,						\
+		.db_autosave = autosave,					\
+		.db_file     = FILE_INIT(fname, 0),				\
+		.db_entries  = g_ptr_array_new(),				\
+		.db_keys     = g_hash_table_new(g_str_hash, g_str_equal),	\
+		.db_ops      = ops,						\
+	}
+
 
 /*
  * Initialize a database using filepath as a location on disk to store data
diff --git a/tests/core/database.c b/tests/core/database.c
index 2edc748b..cfec0b30 100644
--- a/tests/core/database.c
+++ b/tests/core/database.c
@@ -106,9 +106,7 @@ static void test_db_entry()
 
 static void test_init()
 {
-	struct database db;
-
-	db_init(&db, "init.db", false, &int_ops);
+	struct database db = DB_INIT("init.db", false, &int_ops);
 
 	/* Check initial sizes. */
 	test_equal(db.db_entries->len, 0);
@@ -126,9 +124,9 @@ static void test_init()
 
 static void test_stress(unsigned int N)
 {
+	struct database db = DB_INIT("stress.db", false, &int_ops);;
 	struct db_entry *dbe, *next;
 	struct int_entry rmv;
-	struct database db;
 	GPtrArray *ptrs;
 	unsigned int i;
 	gchar *key;
@@ -137,7 +135,6 @@ static void test_stress(unsigned int N)
 	rmv.ie_dbe.dbe_index = 0;
 	test_free_count  = 0;
 	test_setup_count = 0;
-	db_init(&db, "stress.db", false, &int_ops);
 	ptrs = g_ptr_array_new();
 
 	/* db_insert() */
@@ -240,14 +237,12 @@ static void test_stress_100K() { test_stress(100000); }
 
 static void test_save_load()
 {
+	struct database db1 = DB_INIT("save_load.db", true,  &int_ops);
+	struct database db2 = DB_INIT("save_load.db", false, &int_ops);
 	struct db_entry *dbe, *next;
 	const unsigned int N = 10;
-	struct database db1, db2;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	db_init(&db1, "save_load.db", true,  &int_ops);
-	db_init(&db2, "save_load.db", false, &int_ops);
-
 	/* 10 items should "autosave" when inserted */
 	for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
 		db_insert(&db1, &__int_alloc(i)->ie_dbe);