diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 50dcfd63a84d711dffb017972e58cb48f19df3c2..785f9f7d69fd40bdb1b74b31d79ae10e3b621205 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -119,8 +119,7 @@ CVS code -
 	- If the current filestruct's been partitioned, unpartition it
 	  before saving the associated file. (DLR)
   resize_variables()
-	- Use sizeof(char) in the memset() that initializes hblank
-	  instead of assuming that the size of a char is 1. (DLR)
+	- Use charset() instead of memset() to initialize hblank. (DLR)
   copy_filestruct()
 	- Rename variable prev to copy to avoid confusion. (DLR)
   print1opt_full()
@@ -142,6 +141,8 @@ CVS code -
   disable_extended_input()
 	- Disable extended output processing as well as extended input
 	  processing, and rename to disable_extended_io(). (DLR)
+- nano.h:
+	- Add macro charset(), a wrapper that calls memset(). (DLR)
 - rcfile.c:
   color_to_int()
 	- Since colorname's being NULL is handled elsewhere now, assert
diff --git a/src/nano.c b/src/nano.c
index f7fdb894f89a098be15c2a6ff23510ae88a15414..0a46a430dc80433e4a09fcff5e2a3a3c48afdf2e 100644
--- a/src/nano.c
+++ b/src/nano.c
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ void resize_variables(void)
 #endif
 
     hblank = charealloc(hblank, COLS + 1);
-    memset(hblank, ' ', COLS * sizeof(char));
+    charset(hblank, ' ', COLS);
     hblank[COLS] = '\0';
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nano.h b/src/nano.h
index 4997bb0e9a67e1a6650aef0f385ff0408040b3f9..1513f5b3d4c9433fadea15d51dcfd33e456c6a42 100644
--- a/src/nano.h
+++ b/src/nano.h
@@ -45,11 +45,12 @@
 #define ISSET(bit) ((flags & bit) != 0)
 #define TOGGLE(bit) flags ^= bit
 
-/* Macros for character allocation. */
+/* Macros for character allocation, etc. */
 #define charalloc(howmuch) (char *)nmalloc((howmuch) * sizeof(char))
 #define charealloc(ptr, howmuch) (char *)nrealloc(ptr, (howmuch) * sizeof(char))
 #define charmove(dest, src, n) memmove(dest, src, (n) * sizeof(char))
 #define charcpy(dest, src, n) memcpy(dest, src, (n) * sizeof(char))
+#define charset(dest, src, n) memset(dest, src, (n) * sizeof(char))
 
 /* Other macros. */
 #ifdef BROKEN_REGEXEC