diff --git a/builtin/apply.c b/builtin/apply.c
index ecb7f1b258..7fc5c3e307 100644
--- a/builtin/apply.c
+++ b/builtin/apply.c
@@ -4667,6 +4667,9 @@ static void init_apply_state(struct apply_state *state,
 	state->ws_error_action = warn_on_ws_error;
 	state->ws_ignore_action = ignore_ws_none;
 	state->linenr = 1;
+	string_list_init(&state->fn_table, 0);
+	string_list_init(&state->limit_by_name, 0);
+	string_list_init(&state->symlink_changes, 0);
 	strbuf_init(&state->root, 0);
 
 	git_apply_config();
diff --git a/builtin/blame.c b/builtin/blame.c
index e5deb9c67f..1e214bd4ec 100644
--- a/builtin/blame.c
+++ b/builtin/blame.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ static int show_progress;
 static struct date_mode blame_date_mode = { DATE_ISO8601 };
 static size_t blame_date_width;
 
-static struct string_list mailmap;
+static struct string_list mailmap = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 
 #ifndef DEBUG
 #define DEBUG 0
@@ -2520,12 +2520,12 @@ int cmd_blame(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	enum object_type type;
 	struct commit *final_commit = NULL;
 
-	static struct string_list range_list;
-	static int output_option = 0, opt = 0;
-	static int show_stats = 0;
-	static const char *revs_file = NULL;
-	static const char *contents_from = NULL;
-	static const struct option options[] = {
+	struct string_list range_list = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
+	int output_option = 0, opt = 0;
+	int show_stats = 0;
+	const char *revs_file = NULL;
+	const char *contents_from = NULL;
+	const struct option options[] = {
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "incremental", &incremental, N_("Show blame entries as we find them, incrementally")),
 		OPT_BOOL('b', NULL, &blank_boundary, N_("Show blank SHA-1 for boundary commits (Default: off)")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "root", &show_root, N_("Do not treat root commits as boundaries (Default: off)")),
diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 5f867e67d8..70d8213472 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ static char *option_upload_pack = "git-upload-pack";
 static int option_verbosity;
 static int option_progress = -1;
 static enum transport_family family;
-static struct string_list option_config;
-static struct string_list option_reference;
+static struct string_list option_config = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
+static struct string_list option_reference = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 static int option_dissociate;
 static int max_jobs = -1;
 
diff --git a/builtin/interpret-trailers.c b/builtin/interpret-trailers.c
index b99ae4be88..175f14797b 100644
--- a/builtin/interpret-trailers.c
+++ b/builtin/interpret-trailers.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ int cmd_interpret_trailers(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int in_place = 0;
 	int trim_empty = 0;
-	struct string_list trailers = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
+	struct string_list trailers = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 
 	struct option options[] = {
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "in-place", &in_place, N_("edit files in place")),
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 099f4f7be9..8eef94f335 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -674,9 +674,9 @@ static int auto_number = 1;
 
 static char *default_attach = NULL;
 
-static struct string_list extra_hdr;
-static struct string_list extra_to;
-static struct string_list extra_cc;
+static struct string_list extra_hdr = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
+static struct string_list extra_to = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
+static struct string_list extra_cc = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 
 static void add_header(const char *value)
 {
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index d33766be39..5ded3018af 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ struct branch_info {
 	enum { NO_REBASE, NORMAL_REBASE, INTERACTIVE_REBASE } rebase;
 };
 
-static struct string_list branch_list;
+static struct string_list branch_list = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 
 static const char *abbrev_ref(const char *name, const char *prefix)
 {
diff --git a/builtin/shortlog.c b/builtin/shortlog.c
index bfc082e584..f83984e8a1 100644
--- a/builtin/shortlog.c
+++ b/builtin/shortlog.c
@@ -233,11 +233,11 @@ void shortlog_init(struct shortlog *log)
 
 int cmd_shortlog(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	static struct shortlog log;
-	static struct rev_info rev;
+	struct shortlog log = { STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP };
+	struct rev_info rev;
 	int nongit = !startup_info->have_repository;
 
-	static const struct option options[] = {
+	const struct option options[] = {
 		OPT_BOOL('n', "numbered", &log.sort_by_number,
 			 N_("sort output according to the number of commits per author")),
 		OPT_BOOL('s', "summary", &log.summary,
diff --git a/notes.c b/notes.c
index e4e4854d69..df4660fe62 100644
--- a/notes.c
+++ b/notes.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ struct non_note {
 
 struct notes_tree default_notes_tree;
 
-static struct string_list display_notes_refs;
+static struct string_list display_notes_refs = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 static struct notes_tree **display_notes_trees;
 
 static void load_subtree(struct notes_tree *t, struct leaf_node *subtree,
diff --git a/parse-options-cb.c b/parse-options-cb.c
index 239898d946..ba5acf3111 100644
--- a/parse-options-cb.c
+++ b/parse-options-cb.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ int parse_opt_string_list(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset)
 	if (!arg)
 		return -1;
 
-	string_list_append(v, xstrdup(arg));
+	string_list_append(v, arg);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index 4532b11d66..abc2ac2a10 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 static int config_fetch_recurse_submodules = RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND;
 static int parallel_jobs = 1;
-static struct string_list changed_submodule_paths;
+static struct string_list changed_submodule_paths = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 static int initialized_fetch_ref_tips;
 static struct sha1_array ref_tips_before_fetch;
 static struct sha1_array ref_tips_after_fetch;
diff --git a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
index 8a1235d03e..2c63298fab 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ static int dry_run = 0, quiet = 0;
 static char *string = NULL;
 static char *file = NULL;
 static int ambiguous;
-static struct string_list list;
+static struct string_list list = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 
 static struct {
 	int called;