diff --git a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
index 9a7731ef6..abca25941 100644
--- a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
@@ -577,7 +577,12 @@ typedef struct cell {
   uint64_t channels;          // + 8B == 16B
 } cell;
 
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+#define CELL_TRIVIAL_INITIALIZER { }
+#else
 #define CELL_TRIVIAL_INITIALIZER {0}
+#endif
+
 #define CELL_CHAR_INITIALIZER(c) { .gcluster = (htole(c)), .gcluster_backstop = 0, .reserved = 0, .stylemask = 0, .channels = 0, }
 #define CELL_INITIALIZER(c, s, chan) { .gcluster = (htole(c)), .gcluster_backstop = 0, .reserved = 0, .stylemask = (s), .channels = (chan), }