diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 43c037aa10f29a7c38f286f3b5eec76c245bcb1f..19ea27e56285d9b310225401db2b02a69880de54 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 	it will also work for do_fileresearch().
 	* src/text.c (do_int_spell_fix): Save and restore the global flags
 	in the same short and quick way as above.
+	* src/nano.c (main): Initialize the search and replace strings in
+	a central place, to get rid of a bunch of ifs.
 
 2015-04-20  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
 	* src/winio.c (need_horizontal_update, need_vertical_update): Fuse
diff --git a/src/browser.c b/src/browser.c
index 39eedf6c1d28e5d1c1c9f00f45b163845af0fde8..47bac75b15c8ea17a3d7265c875b04089d1c73fa 100644
--- a/src/browser.c
+++ b/src/browser.c
@@ -706,9 +706,6 @@ int filesearch_init(void)
     int input;
     char *buf;
 
-    if (last_search == NULL)
-	last_search = mallocstrcpy(NULL, "");
-
     if (last_search[0] != '\0') {
 	char *disp = display_string(last_search, 0, COLS / 3, FALSE);
 
@@ -844,9 +841,6 @@ void do_filesearch(void)
 /* Search for the last given filename again without prompting. */
 void do_fileresearch(void)
 {
-    if (last_search == NULL)
-	last_search = mallocstrcpy(NULL, "");
-
     if (last_search[0] == '\0')
 	statusbar(_("No current search pattern"));
     else
diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
index 2d22e462b13bbcd029bb24de0c29c46de144b8a7..c93b78c4ea849ea886265ffd93ea075a4315571c 100644
--- a/src/global.c
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -1602,10 +1602,8 @@ void thanks_for_all_the_fish(void)
     if (full_operating_dir != NULL)
 	free(full_operating_dir);
 #endif
-    if (last_search != NULL)
-	free(last_search);
-    if (last_replace != NULL)
-	free(last_replace);
+    free(last_search);
+    free(last_replace);
 #ifndef DISABLE_SPELLER
     if (alt_speller != NULL)
 	free(alt_speller);
diff --git a/src/nano.c b/src/nano.c
index c2cc3d5f0f38a6ee6d75644ef490b1fa5c974d63..8291cf3d0261252622de372a6d7e05f0ee135fd6 100644
--- a/src/nano.c
+++ b/src/nano.c
@@ -2648,6 +2648,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 #endif /* !DISABLE_NANORC */
 #endif /* !NANO_TINY */
 
+    /* Initialize the search and replace strings. */
+    last_search = mallocstrcpy(NULL, "");
+    last_replace = mallocstrcpy(NULL, "");
+
     /* If tabsize wasn't specified, set its default value. */
     if (tabsize == -1)
 	tabsize = WIDTH_OF_TAB;
diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index c1d8c5b7ef795c546400805d3513df0aab66da80..923206aecce5f264ff6dea353ffa50c4ab226a00 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -120,10 +120,6 @@ void search_replace_abort(void)
 void search_init_globals(void)
 {
     focusing = TRUE;
-    if (last_search == NULL)
-	last_search = mallocstrcpy(NULL, "");
-    if (last_replace == NULL)
-	last_replace = mallocstrcpy(NULL, "");
 }
 
 /* Set up the system variables for a search or replace.  If use_answer