diff --git a/sq/scanner.go b/sq/scanner.go
index 00833a6..e77a64f 100644
--- a/sq/scanner.go
+++ b/sq/scanner.go
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ func ScanSingle[TData any](rows *sqlx.Rows, mode StructScanMode, sec StructScanS
 				return *new(TData), err
 			}
 		} else if mode == SModeExtended {
-			var data TData
 			err := strscan.StructScanExt(&data)
 			if err != nil {
 				return *new(TData), err
diff --git a/sq/structscanner.go b/sq/structscanner.go
index f834692..758eb94 100644
--- a/sq/structscanner.go
+++ b/sq/structscanner.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func (r *StructScanner) StructScanExt(dest any) error {
 
 				if _, ok := forcenulled[k]; !ok {
 					f := reflectx.FieldByIndexes(v, traversal[0:i])
-					f.Set(reflect.New(f.Type().Elem())) // set to nil
+					f.Set(reflect.Zero(f.Type())) // set to nil
 					forcenulled[k] = true
 				}
 
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func (r *StructScanner) StructScanExt(dest any) error {
 				return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("Cannot set field %v to NULL value from column '%s' (type: %s)", traversal, r.columns[i], f.Type().String()))
 			}
 
-			f.Set(reflect.New(f.Type().Elem())) // set to nil
+			f.Set(reflect.Zero(f.Type())) // set to nil
 		} else {
 			f.Set(val3)
 		}