diff --git a/compiler/backend/ccgcalls.nim b/compiler/backend/ccgcalls.nim
index a0df77c57a2..1e66e031414 100644
--- a/compiler/backend/ccgcalls.nim
+++ b/compiler/backend/ccgcalls.nim
@@ -100,10 +100,10 @@ proc fixupCall(p: BProc, le, ri: CgNode, d: var TLoc,
         if d.k notin {locTemp, locNone}:
           reportObservableStore(p, le, ri)
 
-        if d.k == locNone: getTemp(p, typ[0], d, needsInit=true)
-        elif d.k notin {locTemp} and not hasNoInit(ri):
-          # reset before pass as 'result' var:
-          discard "resetLoc(p, d)"
+        # resetting the result location is the responsibility of the called
+        # procedure
+        if d.k == locNone:
+          getTemp(p, typ[0], d)
         pl.add(addrLoc(p.config, d))
         pl.add(~");$n")
         line(p, cpsStmts, pl)
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ proc fixupCall(p: BProc, le, ri: CgNode, d: var TLoc,
         exitCall(p, ri[0], canRaise)
       else:
         var tmp: TLoc
-        getTemp(p, typ[0], tmp, needsInit=true)
+        getTemp(p, typ[0], tmp)
         var list: TLoc
         initLoc(list, locCall, d.lode, OnUnknown)
         list.r = pl
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ proc openArrayLoc(p: BProc, formalType: PType, n: CgNode): Rope =
     else: internalError(p.config, "openArrayLoc: " & typeToString(a.t))
 
 proc literalsNeedsTmp(p: BProc, a: TLoc): TLoc =
-  getTemp(p, a.lode.typ, result, needsInit=false)
+  getTemp(p, a.lode.typ, result)
   genAssignment(p, result, a)
 
 proc genArgStringToCString(p: BProc, n: CgNode): Rope {.inline.} =
@@ -333,11 +333,10 @@ proc genClosureCall(p: BProc, le, ri: CgNode, d: var TLoc) =
         if d.k notin {locTemp, locNone}:
           reportObservableStore(p, le, ri)
 
+        # resetting the result location is the responsibility of the called
+        # procedure
         if d.k == locNone:
-          getTemp(p, typ[0], d, needsInit=true)
-        elif d.k notin {locTemp} and not hasNoInit(ri):
-          # reset before pass as 'result' var:
-          discard "resetLoc(p, d)"
+          getTemp(p, typ[0], d)
         pl.add(addrLoc(p.config, d))
         genCallPattern()
         exitCall(p, ri[0], canRaise)
diff --git a/compiler/backend/ccgexprs.nim b/compiler/backend/ccgexprs.nim
index afdca36efe8..8039b9eb55b 100644
--- a/compiler/backend/ccgexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/backend/ccgexprs.nim
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ proc genSetNode(p: BProc, n: CgNode): Rope =
 
 proc genOpenArrayConv(p: BProc; d: TLoc; a: TLoc) =
   assert d.k != locNone
-  #  getTemp(p, d.t, d)
 
   case a.t.skipTypes(abstractVar).kind
   of tyOpenArray, tyVarargs:
@@ -909,8 +908,9 @@ proc genStrAppend(p: BProc, e: CgNode, d: var TLoc) =
   p.s(cpsStmts).add appends
 
 proc genDefault(p: BProc; n: CgNode; d: var TLoc) =
-  if d.k == locNone: getTemp(p, n.typ, d, needsInit=true)
-  else: resetLoc(p, d)
+  if d.k == locNone:
+    getTemp(p, n.typ, d)
+  resetLoc(p, d)
 
 proc rawGenNew(p: BProc, a: var TLoc, sizeExpr: Rope; needsInit: bool; doInitObj = true) =
   var sizeExpr = sizeExpr
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@ proc genNewSeqOfCap(p: BProc; e: CgNode; d: var TLoc) =
   var a: TLoc
   initLocExpr(p, e[1], a)
   block:
-    if d.k == locNone: getTemp(p, e.typ, d, needsInit=false)
+    if d.k == locNone: getTemp(p, e.typ, d)
     linefmt(p, cpsStmts, "$1.len = 0; $1.p = ($4*) #newSeqPayload($2, sizeof($3), NIM_ALIGNOF($3));$n",
       [d.rdLoc, a.rdLoc, getTypeDesc(p.module, seqtype.lastSon),
       getSeqPayloadType(p.module, seqtype),
diff --git a/compiler/backend/cgen.nim b/compiler/backend/cgen.nim
index 2607898a403..737521e3359 100644
--- a/compiler/backend/cgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/backend/cgen.nim
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ proc genObjectInit(p: BProc, section: TCProcSection, t: PType, a: TLoc,
         let tmp = defaultValueExpr(p, t, a.lode.info)
         genAssignment(p, a, tmp)
 
-proc constructLoc(p: BProc, loc: var TLoc, isTemp = false; doInitObj = true) =
+proc constructLoc(p: BProc, loc: var TLoc; doInitObj = true) =
   let kind = mapTypeChooser(loc)
   case mapType(p.config, loc.t, kind)
   of ctChar, ctBool, ctInt, ctInt8, ctInt16, ctInt32, ctInt64,
@@ -424,11 +424,8 @@ proc constructLoc(p: BProc, loc: var TLoc, isTemp = false; doInitObj = true) =
   of ctNimStr, ctNimSeq:
     linefmt(p, cpsStmts, "$1.len = 0; $1.p = NIM_NIL;$n", [rdLoc(loc)])
   of ctArray, ctStruct, ctNimOpenArray:
-    if not isTemp:
-      # don't use nimZeroMem for temporary values for performance if we can
-      # avoid it
-      linefmt(p, cpsStmts, "#nimZeroMem((void*)$1, sizeof($2));$n",
-              [addrLoc(p.config, loc), getTypeDesc(p.module, loc.t, kind)])
+    linefmt(p, cpsStmts, "#nimZeroMem((void*)$1, sizeof($2));$n",
+            [addrLoc(p.config, loc), getTypeDesc(p.module, loc.t, kind)])
 
     if doInitObj:
       genObjectInit(p, cpsStmts, loc.t, loc, constructObj)
@@ -436,9 +433,9 @@ proc constructLoc(p: BProc, loc: var TLoc, isTemp = false; doInitObj = true) =
     unreachable()
 
 proc resetLoc(p: BProc, loc: var TLoc; doInitObj = true) =
-  # we always want to clear out the destination, so pass `false` for
-  # ``isTemp``
-  constructLoc(p, loc, false, doInitObj)
+  # resetting the loc is achieved by constructing a new empty value inside
+  # it
+  constructLoc(p, loc, doInitObj)
 
 proc initLocalVar(p: BProc, v: PSym, immediateAsgn: bool) =
   if sfNoInit notin v.flags:
@@ -452,7 +449,7 @@ proc initLocalVar(p: BProc, v: PSym, immediateAsgn: bool) =
     if not immediateAsgn:
       constructLoc(p, p.locals[v])
 
-proc getTemp(p: BProc, t: PType, result: var TLoc; needsInit=false) =
+proc getTemp(p: BProc, t: PType, result: var TLoc) =
   inc(p.labels)
   result.r = "T" & rope(p.labels) & "_"
   linefmt(p, cpsLocals, "$1 $2;$n", [getTypeDesc(p.module, t, skVar), result.r])
@@ -460,7 +457,6 @@ proc getTemp(p: BProc, t: PType, result: var TLoc; needsInit=false) =
   result.lode = lodeTyp t
   result.storage = OnStack
   result.flags = {}
-  constructLoc(p, result, not needsInit)
   when false:
     # XXX Introduce a compiler switch in order to detect these easily.
     if getSize(p.config, t) > 1024 * 1024: