diff --git a/core/include/priority_queue.h b/core/include/priority_queue.h
index 1a4391c2a3..86b388297e 100644
--- a/core/include/priority_queue.h
+++ b/core/include/priority_queue.h
@@ -43,11 +43,40 @@ typedef struct queue {
  */
 #define PRIORITY_QUEUE_NODE_INIT { NULL, 0, 0 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Initialize a priority queue node object.
+ * @details For initialization of variables use PRIORITY_QUEUE_NODE_INIT
+ *          instead. Only use this function for dynamically allocated
+ *          priority queue nodes.
+ * @param[out] priority_queue_node
+ *          pre-allocated priority_queue_node_t object, must not be NULL.
+ */
+static inline void priority_queue_node_init(
+        priority_queue_node_t *priority_queue_node)
+{
+    priority_queue_node_t qn = PRIORITY_QUEUE_NODE_INIT;
+    *priority_queue_node = qn;
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief Static initializer for priority_queue_t.
  */
 #define PRIORITY_QUEUE_INIT { NULL }
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Initialize a priority queue object.
+ * @details For initialization of variables use PRIORITY_QUEUE_INIT
+ *          instead. Only use this function for dynamically allocated
+ *          priority queues.
+ * @param[out] priority_queue
+ *          pre-allocated priority_queue_t object, must not be NULL.
+ */
+static inline void priority_queue_init(priority_queue_t *priority_queue)
+{
+    priority_queue_t q = PRIORITY_QUEUE_INIT;
+    *priority_queue = q;
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief remove the priority queue's head
  *
diff --git a/sys/vtimer/vtimer.c b/sys/vtimer/vtimer.c
index 43de93e5c4..3fa8c2df68 100644
--- a/sys/vtimer/vtimer.c
+++ b/sys/vtimer/vtimer.c
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ static int vtimer_set(vtimer_t *timer);
 static int set_longterm(vtimer_t *timer);
 static int set_shortterm(vtimer_t *timer);
 
-static priority_queue_t longterm_priority_queue_root;
-static priority_queue_t shortterm_priority_queue_root;
+static priority_queue_t longterm_priority_queue_root = PRIORITY_QUEUE_INIT;
+static priority_queue_t shortterm_priority_queue_root = PRIORITY_QUEUE_INIT;
 
 static vtimer_t longterm_tick_timer;
 static uint32_t longterm_tick_start;
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-core/tests-core-priority-queue.c b/tests/unittests/tests-core/tests-core-priority-queue.c
index 46f700f7bf..76875c9b7c 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/tests-core/tests-core-priority-queue.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-core/tests-core-priority-queue.c
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@
 
 #define Q_LEN (4)
 
-static priority_queue_t q;
+static priority_queue_t q = PRIORITY_QUEUE_INIT;
 static priority_queue_node_t qe[Q_LEN];
 
 static void set_up(void)
 {
-    q.first = NULL;
-    memset(qe, 0, sizeof(qe));
+    priority_queue_init(&q);
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < sizeof(qe)/sizeof(priority_queue_node_t); ++i) {
+        priority_queue_node_init(&(qe[i]));
+    }
 }
 
 static void test_priority_queue_remove_head_empty(void)