diff --git a/src/certs/sev/ca/cert/v1.rs b/src/certs/sev/ca/cert/v1.rs
index db02db1c..39284bfe 100644
--- a/src/certs/sev/ca/cert/v1.rs
+++ b/src/certs/sev/ca/cert/v1.rs
@@ -187,6 +187,9 @@ impl PartialEq for Certificate {
     }
 }
 
+// SAFETY: All fields of Data, recursively, are integers or arrays of integers.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for Data {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Certificate {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, _: ()) -> Result<Self> {
         let p = Preamble {
diff --git a/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/mod.rs b/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/mod.rs
index ef16ac45..52e12aaf 100644
--- a/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/mod.rs
+++ b/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/mod.rs
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ impl<U: Copy + Into<crate::certs::sev::Usage>> PartialEq<U> for Certificate {
     }
 }
 
+// SAFETY: Certificate is a union of a u32 and a v1 certificate. All fields
+// of the v1 certificate, recursively, are integers, arrays, or unions of
+// these.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for Certificate {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Certificate {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, params: ()) -> Result<Self> {
         Ok(match u32::from_le(reader.load()?) {
diff --git a/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/v1/mod.rs b/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/v1/mod.rs
index 486e5a57..a08f9739 100644
--- a/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/v1/mod.rs
+++ b/src/certs/sev/sev/cert/v1/mod.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ impl Certificate {
     }
 }
 
+// SAFETY: All fields of Data, recursively, are integers, arrays, or unions of
+// these.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for body::Data {}
+
+// SAFETY: All fields of Signature, recursively, are integers, arrays, or
+// unions of these.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for sig::Signature {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Certificate {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, _: ()) -> Result<Self> {
         Ok(Self {
diff --git a/src/firmware/host/mod.rs b/src/firmware/host/mod.rs
index 712aa96c..e7f069fd 100644
--- a/src/firmware/host/mod.rs
+++ b/src/firmware/host/mod.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ use std::{
 
 #[cfg(feature = "sev")]
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
-use std::mem::MaybeUninit;
+use crate::util::AnyBitPattern;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "snp")]
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
@@ -131,8 +131,7 @@ impl Firmware {
     /// Request a signature for the PEK.
     #[cfg(feature = "sev")]
     pub fn pek_csr(&mut self) -> Result<Certificate, UserApiError> {
-        #[allow(clippy::uninit_assumed_init)]
-        let mut pek: Certificate = unsafe { MaybeUninit::uninit().assume_init() };
+        let mut pek = Certificate::zeroed();
         let mut csr = PekCsr::new(&mut pek);
         let mut cmd_buf = Command::from_mut(&mut csr);
         PEK_CSR
@@ -155,10 +154,8 @@ impl Firmware {
     /// Export the SEV certificate chain.
     #[cfg(feature = "sev")]
     pub fn pdh_cert_export(&mut self) -> Result<Chain, UserApiError> {
-        #[allow(clippy::uninit_assumed_init)]
-        let mut chain: [Certificate; 3] = unsafe { MaybeUninit::uninit().assume_init() };
-        #[allow(clippy::uninit_assumed_init)]
-        let mut pdh: Certificate = unsafe { MaybeUninit::uninit().assume_init() };
+        let mut chain = <[Certificate; 3]>::zeroed();
+        let mut pdh = Certificate::zeroed();
         let mut pdh_cert_export = PdhCertExport::new(&mut pdh, &mut chain);
         let mut cmd_buf = Command::from_mut(&mut pdh_cert_export);
 
diff --git a/src/firmware/host/types/sev.rs b/src/firmware/host/types/sev.rs
index 4c3978b2..c74dd1da 100644
--- a/src/firmware/host/types/sev.rs
+++ b/src/firmware/host/types/sev.rs
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for Build {
     }
 }
 
+// SAFETY: Build and Version contain only u8 fields.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for Build {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Build {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, _: ()) -> std::io::Result<Self> {
         reader.load()
diff --git a/src/launch/sev.rs b/src/launch/sev.rs
index 30daf00d..e401deb1 100644
--- a/src/launch/sev.rs
+++ b/src/launch/sev.rs
@@ -383,6 +383,10 @@ pub struct Start {
     pub session: Session,
 }
 
+// SAFETY: All fields of Start, recursively, are integers, arrays, or unions
+// of these. The bit flag types wrap integers.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for Start {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Start {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, _: ()) -> std::io::Result<Self> {
         reader.load()
@@ -460,6 +464,9 @@ pub struct Secret {
     pub ciphertext: Vec<u8>,
 }
 
+// SAFETY: Header contains bit flags over a u32 and byte arrays.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for Header {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Secret {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, _: ()) -> std::io::Result<Self> {
         let header = reader.load()?;
@@ -488,6 +495,9 @@ pub struct Measurement {
     pub mnonce: [u8; 16],
 }
 
+// SAFETY: Measurement contains only byte arrays.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for Measurement {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Measurement {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, _: ()) -> std::io::Result<Self> {
         reader.load()
diff --git a/src/util/mod.rs b/src/util/mod.rs
index 18168996..c5cb7c6c 100644
--- a/src/util/mod.rs
+++ b/src/util/mod.rs
@@ -14,14 +14,37 @@ use std::{
     slice::{from_raw_parts, from_raw_parts_mut},
 };
 
+/// A type for which every initialized bit pattern of `size_of::<Self>()` bytes
+/// is a valid value.
+///
+/// # Safety
+///
+/// Implement this only for types whose fields, recursively, are all integers,
+/// arrays, or unions of such types. Types that contain `bool`, `char`, enums,
+/// references, pointers, or `NonZero*` values must not implement it.
+pub unsafe trait AnyBitPattern: Copy {
+    /// Returns a value with every byte set to zero.
+    fn zeroed() -> Self {
+        // SAFETY: Self accepts every bit pattern, including all zeroes.
+        unsafe { MaybeUninit::zeroed().assume_init() }
+    }
+}
+
+// SAFETY: Every bit pattern is a valid u32.
+unsafe impl AnyBitPattern for u32 {}
+
+// SAFETY: An array is valid when each element is valid.
+unsafe impl<T: AnyBitPattern, const N: usize> AnyBitPattern for [T; N] {}
+
 pub trait TypeLoad: Read {
-    fn load<T: Sized + Copy>(&mut self) -> Result<T> {
-        #[allow(clippy::uninit_assumed_init)]
-        let mut t = unsafe { MaybeUninit::uninit().assume_init() };
-        let p = &mut t as *mut T as *mut u8;
-        let s = unsafe { from_raw_parts_mut(p, size_of::<T>()) };
+    fn load<T: AnyBitPattern>(&mut self) -> Result<T> {
+        let mut t = MaybeUninit::<T>::zeroed();
+        // SAFETY: t owns size_of::<T>() bytes. zeroed() initialized all of
+        // them, which makes them valid u8 values.
+        let s = unsafe { from_raw_parts_mut(t.as_mut_ptr() as *mut u8, size_of::<T>()) };
         self.read_exact(s)?;
-        Ok(t)
+        // SAFETY: read_exact filled every byte, and T accepts any bit pattern.
+        Ok(unsafe { t.assume_init() })
     }
 }
 
@@ -35,3 +58,28 @@ pub trait TypeSave: Write {
 
 impl<T: Read> TypeLoad for T {}
 impl<T: Write> TypeSave for T {}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_load_reads_value() {
+        let mut reader: &[u8] = &[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8];
+        let value: [u32; 2] = reader.load().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            value,
+            [
+                u32::from_ne_bytes([1, 2, 3, 4]),
+                u32::from_ne_bytes([5, 6, 7, 8])
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_load_short_input() {
+        let mut reader: &[u8] = &[1, 2, 3];
+        let err = reader.load::<u32>().unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), std::io::ErrorKind::UnexpectedEof);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/vmsa/mod.rs b/src/vmsa/mod.rs
index b705d0b0..08b3a64b 100644
--- a/src/vmsa/mod.rs
+++ b/src/vmsa/mod.rs
@@ -393,6 +393,9 @@ impl Default for Vmsa {
     }
 }
 
+// SAFETY: Vmsa and VmcbSegment contain only integers and integer arrays.
+unsafe impl crate::util::AnyBitPattern for Vmsa {}
+
 impl Decoder<()> for Vmsa {
     fn decode(reader: &mut impl Read, _: ()) -> Result<Self, std::io::Error> {
         reader.load()