diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index d37a9b85739..4ce3ec162d2 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -955,15 +955,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 	yydebug = 1;
 #endif
 
-	/*
-	 * initializes transport interfaces - we initialize them here because we
-	 * can have listening interfaces declared in the command line
-	 */
-	if (trans_init() < 0) {
-		LM_ERR("cannot initialize transport interface\n");
-		goto error;
-	}
-
 		/* get uid/gid */
 	if (user){
 		if (user2uid(&uid, &gid, user)<0){
diff --git a/net/trans.c b/net/trans.c
index 0b14cadf80f..cbb17e5a630 100644
--- a/net/trans.c
+++ b/net/trans.c
@@ -33,38 +33,25 @@
 #include "proto_udp/proto_udp_handler.h"
 
 
-/* we alocate this dynamically because we don't know how when new protocols
- * are developed. Since this is done only once, it's not that bad */
-struct proto_info *protos;
+/*
+ * we need to always populate this structure at startup, at least the SIP
+ * protocols, because we never know what kind of traffic we receive and have
+ * to print its name
+ */
+struct proto_info protos[PROTO_LAST - PROTO_NONE] = {
+
+	{ }, /* PROTO_NONE */
+	{ .name = "udp",  .port = 5060 }, /* PROTO_UDP */
+	{ .name = "tcp",  .port = 5060 }, /* PROTO_TCP */
+	{ .name = "tls",  .port = 5061 }, /* PROTO_TLS */
+	{ .name = "sctp", .port = 5060 }, /* PROTO_SCTP */
+	{ .name = "ws",   .port = 80 },   /* PROTO_WS */
+	{ .name = "wss",  .port = 443 },  /* PROTO_WSS */
+	/* populate here for other protos - not necessary right now */
+};
 
 static struct socket_id *cmd_listeners;
 
-
-int trans_init(void)
-{
-	unsigned int proto_nr;
-
-	proto_nr = PROTO_LAST - PROTO_NONE;
-	protos = pkg_malloc(proto_nr * sizeof(struct proto_info));
-	if (!protos) {
-		LM_ERR("no more memory to allocate protocols\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	memset(protos, 0, proto_nr * sizeof(struct proto_info));
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
-void trans_destroy(void)
-{
-	int i;
-	for (i = PROTO_FIRST; i < PROTO_LAST; i++)
-		if (protos[i].id != PROTO_NONE)
-			pkg_free(protos[i].name);
-	pkg_free(protos);
-}
-
 #define PROTO_PREFIX_LEN (sizeof(PROTO_PREFIX) - 1)
 
 int trans_load(void)
@@ -117,10 +104,13 @@ int trans_load(void)
 				found_proto = 1;
 				/* copy necessary info */
 				protos[pi.id].id = pi.id;
-				protos[pi.id].name = pi.name;
 				protos[pi.id].default_port = pi.default_port;
 				protos[pi.id].tran = pi.tran;
 				protos[pi.id].net = pi.net;
+				/*
+				 * XXX: make sure you never overwrite port or name
+				 * should we put it in a separate structure?
+				 */
 			}
 		}
 		if (found_proto)
diff --git a/net/trans.h b/net/trans.h
index e9f948665f5..8862d145884 100644
--- a/net/trans.h
+++ b/net/trans.h
@@ -31,13 +31,16 @@
 #include "api_proto_net.h"
 
 struct proto_info {
-	/* proto as ID */
-	enum sip_protos id;
-
 	/* the name of the protocol */
 	char *name;
 
-	/* the default protocol */
+	/* the default port according to RFC */
+	unsigned short port;
+
+	/* proto as ID */
+	enum sip_protos id;
+
+	/* the default port, in case it is missing in the listener */
 	unsigned short default_port;
 
 	/* bindings for the transport interface */
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ struct proto_info {
  * listeners */
 typedef int (*api_proto_init)(struct proto_info *pi);
 
-extern struct proto_info *protos;
+extern struct proto_info protos[];
 
 #define is_tcp_based_proto(_p) \
 	(protos[_p].net.flags&PROTO_NET_USE_TCP)
@@ -75,16 +78,6 @@ extern struct proto_info *protos;
 			protos[(_rcv)->proto].tran.dst_attr(_rcv,_attr,_val);\
 	}while(0)
 
-/*
- * initializes transport interface structures
- */
-int trans_init(void);
-
-/*
- * destroys the transport interface structures
- */
-void trans_destroy(void);
-
 /*
  * loads the transport protocol
  */