diff --git a/headers/os/media/MediaDefs.h b/headers/os/media/MediaDefs.h
index 2594eca7a4..9eaa042a8b 100644
--- a/headers/os/media/MediaDefs.h
+++ b/headers/os/media/MediaDefs.h
@@ -604,6 +604,9 @@ public:
 	const void*		MetaData() const;
 	int32			MetaDataSize() const;
 
+	void			Unflatten(const char *flatBuffer);
+	void			Clear();
+
 					media_format();
 					media_format(const media_format& other);
 					~media_format();
diff --git a/src/kits/media/AddOnManager.cpp b/src/kits/media/AddOnManager.cpp
index d1add217c8..66aff824a6 100644
--- a/src/kits/media/AddOnManager.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/media/AddOnManager.cpp
@@ -558,8 +558,8 @@ AddOnManager::_RegisterEncoder(EncoderPlugin* plugin, const entry_ref& ref)
 
 	while (true) {
 		memset(&info.codecInfo, 0, sizeof(media_codec_info));
-		memset(&info.intputFormat, 0, sizeof(media_format));
-		memset(&info.outputFormat, 0, sizeof(media_format));
+		info.intputFormat.Clear();
+		info.outputFormat.Clear();
 		if (plugin->RegisterNextEncoder(&cookie,
 			&info.codecInfo, &info.formatFamily, &info.intputFormat,
 			&info.outputFormat) != B_OK) {
diff --git a/src/kits/media/MediaAddOn.cpp b/src/kits/media/MediaAddOn.cpp
index 1b0e08defa..e018e6771b 100644
--- a/src/kits/media/MediaAddOn.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/media/MediaAddOn.cpp
@@ -442,11 +442,13 @@ dormant_flavor_info::Unflatten(type_code c, const void *buffer, ssize_t size)
 			if (!in_formats)
 				return B_NO_MEMORY;
 			// TODO: we should not!!! make flat copies of media_format
-			memcpy(const_cast<media_format *>(in_formats), buf,
-				count * sizeof(media_format));
+			for (int32 i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+				const_cast<media_format*>
+					(&in_formats[i])->Unflatten(buf);
+				buf += sizeof(media_format); // TODO: not save
+			}
 			in_format_count = count;
 		}
-		buf += count * sizeof(media_format); // TODO: not save
 	}
 
 	count = *(int32*)buf; buf += sizeof(int32);
@@ -458,11 +460,13 @@ dormant_flavor_info::Unflatten(type_code c, const void *buffer, ssize_t size)
 			if (!out_formats)
 				return B_NO_MEMORY;
 			// TODO: we should not!!! make flat copies of media_format
-			memcpy(const_cast<media_format *>(out_formats), buf,
-				count * sizeof(media_format));
+			for (int32 i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+				const_cast<media_format*>
+					(&out_formats[i])->Unflatten(buf);
+				buf += sizeof(media_format); // TODO: not save
+			}
 			out_format_count = count;
 		}
-		buf += count * sizeof(media_format); // TODO: not save
 	}
 
 	node_info = *(dormant_node_info*)buf; buf += sizeof(dormant_node_info);
diff --git a/src/kits/media/MediaDefs.cpp b/src/kits/media/MediaDefs.cpp
index 1eb4803cb9..a8c2829707 100644
--- a/src/kits/media/MediaDefs.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/media/MediaDefs.cpp
@@ -832,17 +832,34 @@ media_format::MetaDataSize() const
 }
 
 
-media_format::media_format()
+void
+media_format::Unflatten(const char *flatBuffer)
+{
+	// TODO: we should not!!! make flat copies of media_format
+	memcpy(this, flatBuffer, sizeof(*this));
+	meta_data = NULL;
+	meta_data_area = B_BAD_VALUE;
+}
+
+
+void
+media_format::Clear()
 {
 	memset(this, 0x00, sizeof(*this));
+	meta_data = NULL;
 	meta_data_area = B_BAD_VALUE;
 }
 
 
+media_format::media_format()
+{
+	this->Clear();
+}
+
+
 media_format::media_format(const media_format& other)
 {
-	memset(this, 0x00, sizeof(*this));
-	meta_data_area = B_BAD_VALUE;
+	this->Clear();
 	*this = other;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/kits/media/MediaExtractor.cpp b/src/kits/media/MediaExtractor.cpp
index 8696279827..b9f3bb5e9c 100644
--- a/src/kits/media/MediaExtractor.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/media/MediaExtractor.cpp
@@ -96,8 +96,7 @@ MediaExtractor::_Init(BDataIO* source, int32 flags)
 		fStreamInfo[i].chunkCache
 			= new ChunkCache(fExtractorWaitSem, kMaxCacheBytes);
 		fStreamInfo[i].lastChunk = NULL;
-		memset(&fStreamInfo[i].encodedFormat, 0,
-			sizeof(fStreamInfo[i].encodedFormat));
+		fStreamInfo[i].encodedFormat.Clear();
 
 		if (fStreamInfo[i].chunkCache->InitCheck() != B_OK) {
 			fInitStatus = B_NO_MEMORY;
diff --git a/src/kits/media/MediaFormats.cpp b/src/kits/media/MediaFormats.cpp
index e0bda690c2..13a9e8e2db 100644
--- a/src/kits/media/MediaFormats.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/media/MediaFormats.cpp
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ BMediaFormats::GetFormatFor(const media_format_description& description,
 		meta_format::CompareDescriptions);
 	TRACE("meta format == %p\n", metaFormat);
 	if (metaFormat == NULL) {
-		memset(_format, 0, sizeof(*_format)); // clear to widlcard
+		_format->Clear(); // clear to widlcard
 		return B_MEDIA_BAD_FORMAT;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/kits/media/MediaRoster.cpp b/src/kits/media/MediaRoster.cpp
index a7f257f0c2..f1cd6ceb5c 100644
--- a/src/kits/media/MediaRoster.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/media/MediaRoster.cpp
@@ -3236,7 +3236,7 @@ BMediaRoster::GetFormatFor(const media_input& input, media_format* _format,
 	status_t rv;
 
 	request.dest = input.destination;
-	memset(&request.format, 0, sizeof(request.format)); // wildcard
+	request.format.Clear(); // wildcard
 
 	rv = QueryPort(input.destination.port, CONSUMER_ACCEPT_FORMAT, &request,
 		sizeof(request), &reply, sizeof(reply));
diff --git a/src/kits/media/TrackReader.cpp b/src/kits/media/TrackReader.cpp
index aa35a45b67..f9d1c3ecc6 100644
--- a/src/kits/media/TrackReader.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/media/TrackReader.cpp
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void
 BTrackReader::SetToTrack(BMediaTrack *track)
 {	
 	media_format fmt;
-	memset(&fmt, 0, sizeof(fmt)); //wildcard
+	fmt.Clear(); //wildcard
 	memcpy(&fmt.u.raw_audio, &fFormat, sizeof(fFormat));
 	fmt.type = B_MEDIA_RAW_AUDIO;
 	//try to find a output format