diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index c73475b..d1e42e8 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -1287,9 +1287,10 @@ struct user_channel
 };
 
 static struct user_channel *
-user_channel_new (void)
+user_channel_new (struct channel *channel)
 {
 	struct user_channel *self = xcalloc (1, sizeof *self);
+	self->channel = channel;
 	return self;
 }
 
@@ -1325,10 +1326,11 @@ static struct ispect_field g_user_ispect[] =
 };
 
 static struct user *
-user_new (void)
+user_new (char *nickname)
 {
 	struct user *self = xcalloc (1, sizeof *self);
 	self->ref_count = 1;
+	self->nickname = nickname;
 	return self;
 }
 
@@ -1405,10 +1407,12 @@ static struct ispect_field g_channel_ispect[] =
 };
 
 static struct channel *
-channel_new (void)
+channel_new (char *name, char *topic)
 {
 	struct channel *self = xcalloc (1, sizeof *self);
 	self->ref_count = 1;
+	self->name = name;
+	self->topic = topic;
 	self->no_param_modes = str_make ();
 	self->param_modes = str_map_make (free);
 	self->names_buf = strv_make ();
@@ -4376,9 +4380,8 @@ irc_make_user (struct server *s, char *nickname)
 {
 	hard_assert (!str_map_find (&s->irc_users, nickname));
 
-	struct user *user = user_new ();
+	struct user *user = user_new (nickname);
 	(void) user_weak_ref (user, irc_user_on_destroy, s);
-	user->nickname = nickname;
 	str_map_set (&s->irc_users, user->nickname, user);
 	return user;
 }
@@ -4435,8 +4438,7 @@ static void
 irc_channel_link_user (struct channel *channel, struct user *user,
 	const char *prefixes)
 {
-	struct user_channel *user_channel = user_channel_new ();
-	user_channel->channel = channel;
+	struct user_channel *user_channel = user_channel_new (channel);
 	LIST_PREPEND (user->channels, user_channel);
 
 	struct channel_user *channel_user = channel_user_new (user, prefixes);
@@ -4479,10 +4481,8 @@ irc_make_channel (struct server *s, char *name)
 {
 	hard_assert (!str_map_find (&s->irc_channels, name));
 
-	struct channel *channel = channel_new ();
+	struct channel *channel = channel_new (name, NULL);
 	(void) channel_weak_ref (channel, irc_channel_on_destroy, s);
-	channel->name = name;
-	channel->topic = NULL;
 	str_map_set (&s->irc_channels, channel->name, channel);
 	return channel;
 }