diff --git a/dlls/oleaut32/tests/vartest.c b/dlls/oleaut32/tests/vartest.c
index 2f82d9b9145..d28b5c10876 100644
--- a/dlls/oleaut32/tests/vartest.c
+++ b/dlls/oleaut32/tests/vartest.c
@@ -542,14 +542,11 @@ static void _test_bstr_var(unsigned line, const VARIANT *v, const char *str)
 
 static void test_VariantInit(void)
 {
-  VARIANTARG v1, v2;
+  VARIANT v;
 
-  /* Test that VariantInit() only sets the type */
-  memset(&v1, -1, sizeof(v1));
-  v2 = v1;
-  V_VT(&v2) = VT_EMPTY;
-  VariantInit(&v1);
-  ok(!memcmp(&v1, &v2, sizeof(v1)), "VariantInit() set extra fields\n");
+  memset(&v, -1, sizeof(v));
+  VariantInit(&v);
+  ok(V_VT(&v) == VT_EMPTY, "VariantInit() returned vt %d\n", V_VT(&v));
 }
 
 /* All possible combinations of extra V_VT() flags */
diff --git a/dlls/oleaut32/variant.c b/dlls/oleaut32/variant.c
index 92cf01bab48..053903ef461 100644
--- a/dlls/oleaut32/variant.c
+++ b/dlls/oleaut32/variant.c
@@ -575,7 +575,8 @@ void WINAPI VariantInit(VARIANTARG* pVarg)
 {
   TRACE("(%p)\n", pVarg);
 
-  V_VT(pVarg) = VT_EMPTY; /* Native doesn't set any other fields */
+  /* Win8.1 zeroes whole struct. Previous implementations don't set any other fields. */
+  V_VT(pVarg) = VT_EMPTY;
 }
 
 HRESULT VARIANT_ClearInd(VARIANTARG *pVarg)