diff -r 380bd45bc94a -r 2dd841e364af src/hash_map.c
--- a/src/hash_map.c	Mon Apr 17 21:47:34 2023 +0200
+++ b/src/hash_map.c	Tue Apr 18 18:01:41 2023 +0200
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
     if (elm != NULL && elm->key.hash == hash && elm->key.len == key.len &&
         memcmp(elm->key.data.obj, key.data.obj, key.len) == 0) {
         // overwrite existing element
-        if (map->store_pointers) {
+        if (map->store_pointer) {
             memcpy(elm->data, &value, sizeof(void *));
         } else {
             memcpy(elm->data, value, map->item_size);
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
         }
 
         // write the value
-        if (map->store_pointers) {
+        if (map->store_pointer) {
             memcpy(e->data, &value, sizeof(void *));
         } else {
             memcpy(e->data, value, map->item_size);
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
         if (elm->key.hash == hash && elm->key.len == key.len) {
             if (memcmp(elm->key.data.obj, key.data.obj, key.len) == 0) {
                 void *data = NULL;
-                if (map->store_pointers) {
+                if (map->store_pointer) {
                     data = *(void **) elm->data;
                 } else if (!remove) {
                     data = elm->data;
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@
     struct cx_iterator_s const *iter = it;
     struct cx_hash_map_s const *map = iter->src_handle;
     struct cx_hash_map_element_s *elm = iter->elem_handle;
-    if (map->base.store_pointers) {
+    if (map->base.store_pointer) {
         return *(void **) elm->data;
     } else {
         return elm->data;
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@
         iter->kv_data.value = NULL;
     } else {
         iter->kv_data.key = &elm->key;
-        if (map->base.store_pointers) {
+        if (map->base.store_pointer) {
             iter->kv_data.value = *(void **) elm->data;
         } else {
             iter->kv_data.value = elm->data;
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@
         }
         iter.elem_handle = elm;
         iter.kv_data.key = &elm->key;
-        if (map->store_pointers) {
+        if (map->store_pointer) {
             iter.kv_data.value = *(void **) elm->data;
         } else {
             iter.kv_data.value = elm->data;
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@
         buckets = 16;
     }
 
-    struct cx_hash_map_s *map = cxMalloc(allocator, sizeof(struct cx_hash_map_s));
+    struct cx_hash_map_s *map = cxCalloc(allocator, 1, sizeof(struct cx_hash_map_s));
     if (map == NULL) return NULL;
 
     // initialize hash map members
@@ -430,13 +430,12 @@
     // initialize base members
     map->base.cl = &cx_hash_map_class;
     map->base.allocator = allocator;
-    map->base.size = 0;
 
     if (itemsize > 0) {
-        map->base.store_pointers = false;
+        map->base.store_pointer = false;
         map->base.item_size = itemsize;
     } else {
-        map->base.store_pointers = true;
+        map->base.store_pointer = true;
         map->base.item_size = sizeof(void *);
     }