diff --git a/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c b/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c
index dca06a26ee2a..8fd9ec66121c 100644
--- a/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c
+++ b/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c
@@ -1392,23 +1392,18 @@ kvp_get_domain_name(char *buffer, int length)
 static int
 netlink_send(int fd, struct cn_msg *msg)
 {
-	struct nlmsghdr *nlh;
+	struct nlmsghdr nlh = { .nlmsg_type = NLMSG_DONE };
 	unsigned int size;
 	struct msghdr message;
-	char buffer[64];
 	struct iovec iov[2];
 
 	size = sizeof(struct cn_msg) + msg->len;
 
-	nlh = (struct nlmsghdr *)buffer;
-	nlh->nlmsg_seq = 0;
-	nlh->nlmsg_pid = getpid();
-	nlh->nlmsg_type = NLMSG_DONE;
-	nlh->nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(size - sizeof(*nlh));
-	nlh->nlmsg_flags = 0;
+	nlh.nlmsg_pid = getpid();
+	nlh.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(size);
 
-	iov[0].iov_base = nlh;
-	iov[0].iov_len = sizeof(*nlh);
+	iov[0].iov_base = &nlh;
+	iov[0].iov_len = sizeof(nlh);
 
 	iov[1].iov_base = msg;
 	iov[1].iov_len = size;
diff --git a/tools/hv/hv_vss_daemon.c b/tools/hv/hv_vss_daemon.c
index 7cd2544aa49b..8611962c672c 100644
--- a/tools/hv/hv_vss_daemon.c
+++ b/tools/hv/hv_vss_daemon.c
@@ -105,23 +105,18 @@ static int vss_operate(int operation)
 
 static int netlink_send(int fd, struct cn_msg *msg)
 {
-	struct nlmsghdr *nlh;
+	struct nlmsghdr nlh = { .nlmsg_type = NLMSG_DONE };
 	unsigned int size;
 	struct msghdr message;
-	char buffer[64];
 	struct iovec iov[2];
 
 	size = sizeof(struct cn_msg) + msg->len;
 
-	nlh = (struct nlmsghdr *)buffer;
-	nlh->nlmsg_seq = 0;
-	nlh->nlmsg_pid = getpid();
-	nlh->nlmsg_type = NLMSG_DONE;
-	nlh->nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(size - sizeof(*nlh));
-	nlh->nlmsg_flags = 0;
+	nlh.nlmsg_pid = getpid();
+	nlh.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(size);
 
-	iov[0].iov_base = nlh;
-	iov[0].iov_len = sizeof(*nlh);
+	iov[0].iov_base = &nlh;
+	iov[0].iov_len = sizeof(nlh);
 
 	iov[1].iov_base = msg;
 	iov[1].iov_len = size;