diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 9c4e25ff..4b30be7e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: IR regression tests
         run: |
           make check-snapshot || exit 1
+      - name: Sanitizer-enabled stage 0 tests
+        env:
+          CC: ${{ matrix.compiler }}
+        run: |
+          make check-sanitizer || exit 1
       - name: Unit tests
         run: |
           make check || exit 1
@@ -48,6 +53,7 @@ jobs:
           apt-get install -yqq build-essential
         run: |
           make config ARCH=arm
+          make check-sanitizer || exit 1
           make check || exit 1
 
   coding-style:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 73f2bc0d..98f28818 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ SNAPSHOTS := $(foreach SNAPSHOT_ARCH,$(ARCHS), $(patsubst tests/%.c, tests/snaps
 
 all: config bootstrap
 
+sanitizer: CFLAGS += -fsanitize=address -fsanitize=undefined -fno-omit-frame-pointer -O0
+sanitizer: LDFLAGS += -fsanitize=address -fsanitize=undefined
+sanitizer: config $(OUT)/$(STAGE0)-sanitizer
+	$(VECHO) "  Built stage 0 compiler with sanitizers\n"
+
 ifeq (,$(filter $(ARCH),$(ARCHS)))
 $(error Support ARM and RISC-V only. Select the target with "ARCH=arm" or "ARCH=riscv")
 endif
@@ -81,6 +86,12 @@ check-stage2: $(OUT)/$(STAGE2) $(TESTBINS) tests/driver.sh
 	$(VECHO) "  TEST STAGE 2\n"
 	tests/driver.sh 2
 
+check-sanitizer: $(OUT)/$(STAGE0)-sanitizer tests/driver.sh
+	$(VECHO) "  TEST STAGE 0 (with sanitizers)\n"
+	$(Q)cp $(OUT)/$(STAGE0)-sanitizer $(OUT)/shecc
+	tests/driver.sh 0
+	$(Q)rm $(OUT)/shecc
+
 check-snapshots: $(OUT)/$(STAGE0) $(SNAPSHOTS) tests/check-snapshots.sh
 	$(Q)$(foreach SNAPSHOT_ARCH, $(ARCHS), $(MAKE) distclean config check-snapshot ARCH=$(SNAPSHOT_ARCH) --silent;)
 	$(VECHO) "Switching backend back to %s\n" $(ARCH)
@@ -123,7 +134,11 @@ $(OUT)/inliner: tools/inliner.c
 
 $(OUT)/$(STAGE0): $(OUT)/libc.inc $(OBJS)
 	$(VECHO) "  LD\t$@\n"
-	$(Q)$(CC) $(OBJS) -o $@
+	$(Q)$(CC) $(OBJS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@
+
+$(OUT)/$(STAGE0)-sanitizer: $(OUT)/libc.inc $(OBJS)
+	$(VECHO) "  LD\t$@ (with sanitizers)\n"
+	$(Q)$(CC) $(OBJS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@
 
 $(OUT)/$(STAGE1): $(OUT)/$(STAGE0)
 	$(Q)$(STAGE1_CHECK_CMD)
diff --git a/src/globals.c b/src/globals.c
index df8abefe..ecc2f406 100644
--- a/src/globals.c
+++ b/src/globals.c
@@ -164,8 +164,9 @@ void *arena_alloc(arena_t *arena, int size)
         abort();
     }
 
-    /* Align to PTR_SIZE bytes */
-    size = (size + PTR_SIZE - 1) & ~(PTR_SIZE - 1);
+    /* Align to sizeof(void*) bytes for host compatibility */
+    int alignment = sizeof(void *);
+    size = (size + alignment - 1) & ~(alignment - 1);
 
     if (!arena->head || arena->head->offset + size > arena->head->capacity) {
         /* Need a new block: choose capacity = max(DEFAULT_ARENA_SIZE,
@@ -307,17 +308,17 @@ symbol_t *arena_alloc_symbol(void)
 
 constant_t *arena_alloc_constant(void)
 {
-    return arena_alloc(GENERAL_ARENA, sizeof(constant_t));
+    return arena_calloc(GENERAL_ARENA, 1, sizeof(constant_t));
 }
 
 alias_t *arena_alloc_alias(void)
 {
-    return arena_alloc(GENERAL_ARENA, sizeof(alias_t));
+    return arena_calloc(GENERAL_ARENA, 1, sizeof(alias_t));
 }
 
 macro_t *arena_alloc_macro(void)
 {
-    return arena_alloc(GENERAL_ARENA, sizeof(macro_t));
+    return arena_calloc(GENERAL_ARENA, 1, sizeof(macro_t));
 }
 
 bb_traversal_args_t *arena_alloc_traversal_args(void)
@@ -613,7 +614,7 @@ ph2_ir_t *add_existed_ph2_ir(ph2_ir_t *ph2_ir)
 
 ph2_ir_t *add_ph2_ir(opcode_t op)
 {
-    ph2_ir_t *ph2_ir = arena_alloc(BB_ARENA, sizeof(ph2_ir_t));
+    ph2_ir_t *ph2_ir = arena_calloc(BB_ARENA, 1, sizeof(ph2_ir_t));
     ph2_ir->op = op;
     /* Set safe defaults; arch-lowering may annotate later */
     ph2_ir->next = NULL;
@@ -630,7 +631,7 @@ void set_var_liveout(var_t *var, int end)
 
 block_t *add_block(block_t *parent, func_t *func, macro_t *macro)
 {
-    block_t *blk = arena_alloc(BLOCK_ARENA, sizeof(block_t));
+    block_t *blk = arena_calloc(BLOCK_ARENA, 1, sizeof(block_t));
 
     blk->parent = parent;
     blk->func = func;
@@ -884,7 +885,7 @@ func_t *find_func(char *func_name)
 /* Create a basic block and set the scope of variables to 'parent' block */
 basic_block_t *bb_create(block_t *parent)
 {
-    basic_block_t *bb = arena_alloc(BB_ARENA, sizeof(basic_block_t));
+    basic_block_t *bb = arena_calloc(BB_ARENA, 1, sizeof(basic_block_t));
 
     for (int i = 0; i < MAX_BB_PRED; i++) {
         bb->prev[i].bb = NULL;
@@ -1000,7 +1001,7 @@ void add_insn(block_t *block,
 
     bb->scope = block;
 
-    insn_t *n = arena_alloc(INSN_ARENA, sizeof(insn_t));
+    insn_t *n = arena_calloc(INSN_ARENA, 1, sizeof(insn_t));
     n->opcode = op;
     n->rd = rd;
     n->rs1 = rs1;
diff --git a/src/parser.c b/src/parser.c
index 0471ab3a..a789b469 100644
--- a/src/parser.c
+++ b/src/parser.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ var_t *require_var(block_t *blk)
         var_list->elements = new_locals;
     }
 
-    var_t *var = arena_alloc(BLOCK_ARENA, sizeof(var_t));
+    var_t *var = arena_calloc(BLOCK_ARENA, 1, sizeof(var_t));
     var_list->elements[var_list->size++] = var;
     var->consumed = -1;
     var->base = var;
@@ -3232,7 +3232,8 @@ basic_block_t *read_body_statement(block_t *parent, basic_block_t *bb)
     else if (lex_accept(T_decrement))
         prefix_op = OP_sub;
     /* must be an identifier or asterisk (for pointer dereference) */
-    if (!lex_peek(T_identifier, token) && !lex_peek(T_asterisk, NULL))
+    bool has_asterisk = lex_peek(T_asterisk, NULL);
+    if (!lex_peek(T_identifier, token) && !has_asterisk)
         error("Unexpected token");
 
     /* handle macro parameter substitution for statements */
@@ -3350,14 +3351,16 @@ basic_block_t *read_body_statement(block_t *parent, basic_block_t *bb)
         return bb;
     }
 
-    /* is a function call? */
-    func = find_func(token);
-    if (func) {
-        lex_expect(T_identifier);
-        read_func_call(func, parent, &bb);
-        perform_side_effect(parent, bb);
-        lex_expect(T_semicolon);
-        return bb;
+    /* is a function call? Skip function call check when has_asterisk is true */
+    if (!has_asterisk) {
+        func = find_func(token);
+        if (func) {
+            lex_expect(T_identifier);
+            read_func_call(func, parent, &bb);
+            perform_side_effect(parent, bb);
+            lex_expect(T_semicolon);
+            return bb;
+        }
     }
 
     /* handle pointer dereference expressions like *ptr = value */
@@ -3792,7 +3795,7 @@ void parse_internal(void)
     /* set starting point of global stack manually */
     GLOBAL_FUNC = add_func("", true);
     GLOBAL_FUNC->stack_size = 4;
-    GLOBAL_FUNC->bbs = arena_alloc(BB_ARENA, sizeof(basic_block_t));
+    GLOBAL_FUNC->bbs = arena_calloc(BB_ARENA, 1, sizeof(basic_block_t));
 
     /* built-in types */
     TY_void = add_named_type("void");
@@ -3829,7 +3832,7 @@ void parse_internal(void)
     func->return_def.type = TY_int;
     func->num_params = 0;
     func->va_args = 1;
-    func->bbs = arena_alloc(BB_ARENA, sizeof(basic_block_t));
+    func->bbs = arena_calloc(BB_ARENA, 1, sizeof(basic_block_t));
 
     /* lexer initialization */
     SOURCE->size = 0;
diff --git a/src/reg-alloc.c b/src/reg-alloc.c
index fd025b48..200548f9 100644
--- a/src/reg-alloc.c
+++ b/src/reg-alloc.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void refresh(basic_block_t *bb, insn_t *insn)
 
 ph2_ir_t *bb_add_ph2_ir(basic_block_t *bb, opcode_t op)
 {
-    ph2_ir_t *n = arena_alloc(BB_ARENA, sizeof(ph2_ir_t));
+    ph2_ir_t *n = arena_calloc(BB_ARENA, 1, sizeof(ph2_ir_t));
     n->op = op;
     /* Ensure deterministic defaults for newly created IR nodes */
     n->next = NULL;            /* well-formed singly linked list */
diff --git a/src/ssa.c b/src/ssa.c
index b2262afe..391fa5eb 100644
--- a/src/ssa.c
+++ b/src/ssa.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ bool insert_phi_insn(basic_block_t *bb, var_t *var)
         return false;
 
     insn_t *head = bb->insn_list.head;
-    insn_t *n = arena_alloc(INSN_ARENA, sizeof(insn_t));
+    insn_t *n = arena_calloc(INSN_ARENA, 1, sizeof(insn_t));
     n->opcode = OP_phi;
     n->rd = var;
     n->rs1 = var;
@@ -805,7 +805,7 @@ void solve_phi_params(void)
 
 void append_unwound_phi_insn(basic_block_t *bb, var_t *dest, var_t *rs)
 {
-    insn_t *n = arena_alloc(INSN_ARENA, sizeof(insn_t));
+    insn_t *n = arena_calloc(INSN_ARENA, 1, sizeof(insn_t));
     n->opcode = OP_unwound_phi;
     n->rd = dest;
     n->rs1 = rs;