diff --git a/arch/ia64/kernel/perfmon.c b/arch/ia64/kernel/perfmon.c
index 39e534f5a3b0..3aee09d2c2de 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/kernel/perfmon.c
+++ b/arch/ia64/kernel/perfmon.c
@@ -829,10 +829,9 @@ pfm_rvmalloc(unsigned long size)
 	unsigned long addr;
 
 	size = PAGE_ALIGN(size);
-	mem  = vmalloc(size);
+	mem  = vzalloc(size);
 	if (mem) {
 		//printk("perfmon: CPU%d pfm_rvmalloc(%ld)=%p\n", smp_processor_id(), size, mem);
-		memset(mem, 0, size);
 		addr = (unsigned long)mem;
 		while (size > 0) {
 			pfm_reserve_page(addr);