diff --git a/storage.h b/storage.h
index df0c3e29..0487bf7c 100644
--- a/storage.h
+++ b/storage.h
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ void enum_host_ca_finish(host_ca_enum *handle);
 host_ca *host_ca_load(const char *name);
 char *host_ca_save(host_ca *);   /* NULL on success, or dynamic error msg */
 char *host_ca_delete(const char *name); /* likewise */
+
+host_ca *host_ca_new(void);  /* initialises to default settings */
 void host_ca_free(host_ca *);
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/unix/storage.c b/unix/storage.c
index 8be482cd..b3a9e8f1 100644
--- a/unix/storage.c
+++ b/unix/storage.c
@@ -643,8 +643,7 @@ host_ca *host_ca_load(const char *name)
     if (!fp)
         return NULL;
 
-    host_ca *hca = snew(host_ca);
-    memset(hca, 0, sizeof(*hca));
+    host_ca *hca = host_ca_new();
     hca->name = dupstr(name);
 
     size_t wcsize = 0;
diff --git a/utils/CMakeLists.txt b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
index 9d079ecb..dfd28efd 100644
--- a/utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ add_sources_from_current_dir(utils
   encode_utf8.c
   encode_wide_string_as_utf8.c
   fgetline.c
-  host_ca_free.c
+  host_ca_new_free.c
   host_strchr.c
   host_strchr_internal.c
   host_strcspn.c
diff --git a/utils/host_ca_free.c b/utils/host_ca_new_free.c
similarity index 74%
rename from utils/host_ca_free.c
rename to utils/host_ca_new_free.c
index 5fb3a46c..f77c84d8 100644
--- a/utils/host_ca_free.c
+++ b/utils/host_ca_new_free.c
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 #include "misc.h"
 #include "storage.h"
 
+host_ca *host_ca_new(void)
+{
+    host_ca *hca = snew(host_ca);
+    memset(hca, 0, sizeof(*hca));
+    return hca;
+}
+
 void host_ca_free(host_ca *hca)
 {
     sfree(hca->name);
diff --git a/windows/storage.c b/windows/storage.c
index 7e74e392..c58f6d85 100644
--- a/windows/storage.c
+++ b/windows/storage.c
@@ -424,8 +424,7 @@ host_ca *host_ca_load(const char *name)
     if (!rkey)
         return NULL;
 
-    host_ca *hca = snew(host_ca);
-    memset(hca, 0, sizeof(*hca));
+    host_ca *hca = host_ca_new();
     hca->name = dupstr(name);
 
     if ((s = get_reg_sz(rkey, "PublicKey")) != NULL)