diff --git a/src/node_snapshotable.h b/src/node_snapshotable.h
index 18ef5fbd43fd..a9050877a04d 100644
--- a/src/node_snapshotable.h
+++ b/src/node_snapshotable.h
@@ -44,8 +44,11 @@ struct InternalFieldInfoBase {
   template <std::derived_from<InternalFieldInfoBase> T>
   static T* New(EmbedderObjectType type) {
     void* buf = ::operator new[](sizeof(T));
-    memset(buf, 0, sizeof(T));  // Make the padding reproducible.
     T* result = new (buf) T;
+    // Zero the padding to make the bytes handed to V8 reproducible. Must come
+    // after the placement new, or -flifetime-dse drops it as a dead store.
+    // https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Optimize-Options.html#index-fno-lifetime-dse
+    memset(static_cast<void*>(result), 0, sizeof(T));
     result->type = type;
     result->length = sizeof(T);
     return result;