diff --git a/compel/src/lib/infect.c b/compel/src/lib/infect.c
index 0494b06ef..8f44dbfc3 100644
--- a/compel/src/lib/infect.c
+++ b/compel/src/lib/infect.c
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ struct parasite_thread_ctl *compel_prepare_thread(struct parasite_ctl *ctl, int
 {
 	struct parasite_thread_ctl *tctl;
 
-	tctl = xmalloc(sizeof(*tctl));
+	tctl = xmemalign(__alignof__(*tctl), sizeof(*tctl));
 	if (tctl) {
 		if (prepare_thread(pid, &tctl->th)) {
 			xfree(tctl);
@@ -1160,11 +1160,12 @@ struct parasite_ctl *compel_prepare_noctx(int pid)
 	/*
 	 * Control block early setup.
 	 */
-	ctl = xzalloc(sizeof(*ctl));
+	ctl = xmemalign(__alignof__(*ctl), sizeof(*ctl));
 	if (!ctl) {
 		pr_err("Parasite control block allocation failed (pid: %d)\n", pid);
 		goto err;
 	}
+	memset(ctl, 0, sizeof(*ctl));
 
 	ctl->tsock = -1;
 	ctl->ictx.log_fd = -1;
@@ -1363,7 +1364,8 @@ struct parasite_ctl *compel_prepare(int pid)
 
 	ictx->save_regs = save_regs_plain;
 	ictx->make_sigframe = make_sigframe_plain;
-	ictx->regs_arg = xmalloc(sizeof(struct plain_regs_struct));
+	ictx->regs_arg = xmemalign(__alignof__(struct plain_regs_struct),
+				   sizeof(struct plain_regs_struct));
 	if (ictx->regs_arg == NULL)
 		goto err;
 
diff --git a/include/common/xmalloc.h b/include/common/xmalloc.h
index 42893a8b5..52290fa15 100644
--- a/include/common/xmalloc.h
+++ b/include/common/xmalloc.h
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@
 #define xzalloc(size)	  __xalloc(calloc, size, 1, size)
 #define xrealloc(p, size) __xalloc(realloc, size, p, size)
 
+#define xmemalign(align, size)                                                            \
+	({                                                                                \
+		void *___p = NULL;                                                        \
+		int ___err = posix_memalign(&___p, align, size);                          \
+		if (___err)                                                               \
+			pr_err("%s: Can't allocate %li bytes aligned to %li\n",           \
+				__func__, (long)(size), (long)(align));                    \
+		___p;                                                                     \
+	})
+
 #define xfree(p) free(p)
 
 #define xrealloc_safe(pptr, size)                  \