diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 find_package (ECM 1.2.0 REQUIRED NO_MODULE)
 set (CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${ECM_MODULE_PATH} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/modules" )
 
+include(CheckFunctionExists)
 include(KDEInstallDirs)
 
 find_package(PAM REQUIRED)
@@ -58,6 +59,14 @@
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_PAM_APPL)
 endif()
 
+set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES "string.h")
+check_function_exists(explicit_bzero HAVE_EXPLICIT_BZERO)
+set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES)
+
+if (HAVE_EXPLICIT_BZERO)
+    add_definitions(-DHAVE_EXPLICIT_BZERO)
+endif()
+
 add_library (${library_name} SHARED ${pam_kwallet_SRCS})
 set_target_properties (${library_name} PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
 target_link_libraries (${library_name}
diff --git a/pam_kwallet.c b/pam_kwallet.c
--- a/pam_kwallet.c
+++ b/pam_kwallet.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <grp.h>
 
@@ -177,19 +178,22 @@
         return;
     }
 
-    size_t len;
+    const size_t len = strlen (str);
+#if HAVE_EXPLICIT_BZERO
+    explicit_bzero(str, len);
+#else
     volatile char *vp;
 
     /* Defeats some optimizations */
-    len = strlen (str);
     memset (str, 0xAA, len);
     memset (str, 0xBB, len);
 
     /* Defeats others */
     vp = (volatile char*)str;
     while (*vp) {
         *(vp++) = 0xAA;
     }
+#endif
 
     free (str);
 }