diff --git a/programs/util.c b/programs/util.c
index 277b0cd5c..7257c8a55 100644
--- a/programs/util.c
+++ b/programs/util.c
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ UTIL_createFileNamesTable_fromFileName(const char* inputFileName) {
     }
     nbFiles = ret_nbFiles;
 
-    filesTable = (FileNamesTable*) malloc(sizeof(FileNamesTable));
+    filesTable = UTIL_createFileNamesTable(NULL, NULL, 0);
     if(!filesTable) {
       free(buf);
       UTIL_DISPLAYLEVEL(1, "[ERROR][UTIL_readFileNamesTableFromFile] Can't create table for files.\n");
@@ -290,6 +290,18 @@ UTIL_createFileNamesTable_fromFileName(const char* inputFileName) {
     return filesTable;
 }
 
+FileNamesTable*
+UTIL_createFileNamesTable(const char** filenames, char* buf, size_t tableSize){
+  FileNamesTable* table = (FileNamesTable*) malloc(sizeof(FileNamesTable));
+  if(!table) {
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  table->fileNames = filenames;
+  table->buf = buf;
+  table->tableSize = tableSize;
+  return table;
+}
+
 void UTIL_freeFileNamesTable(FileNamesTable* table) {
   if(table) {
     if(table->fileNames) {
@@ -324,7 +336,7 @@ UTIL_concatenateTwoTables(FileNamesTable* table1, FileNamesTable* table2) {
     char* buf = NULL;
 
 
-    newTable = (FileNamesTable*) malloc(sizeof(FileNamesTable));
+    newTable = UTIL_createFileNamesTable(NULL, NULL, 0);
 
     if(!newTable) {
       UTIL_DISPLAYLEVEL(1, "[ERROR][UTIL_concatenateTwoTables] Can't create new table for concatenation output.\n");
diff --git a/programs/util.h b/programs/util.h
index cb01fcefe..bd275e2c7 100644
--- a/programs/util.h
+++ b/programs/util.h
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ int UTIL_readLineFromFile(char* buf, size_t len, FILE* file);
 /*Note: tableSize is denotes the total capacity of table*/
 typedef struct
 {
-    const char** fileNames = NULL;
-    char* buf = NULL;
+    const char** fileNames;
+    char* buf;
     size_t tableSize;
 } FileNamesTable;
 
@@ -163,6 +163,16 @@ typedef struct
  */
 FileNamesTable* UTIL_createFileNamesTable_fromFileName(const char* inputFileName);
 
+
+/*!  UTIL_freeFileNamesTable(const char** filenames, char* buf, size_t tableSize) :
+ * This function takes an buffered based filename, buf and tableSize to create its object.
+ * @return : FileNamesTable*
+ */
+
+FileNamesTable*
+UTIL_createFileNamesTable(const char** filenames, char* buf, size_t tableSize);
+
+
 /*!  UTIL_freeFileNamesTable(FileNamesTable* table) :
  * This function takes an buffered based table and frees it.
  * @return : void.
diff --git a/programs/zstdcli.c b/programs/zstdcli.c
index c6146f5fe..99f344fcb 100644
--- a/programs/zstdcli.c
+++ b/programs/zstdcli.c
@@ -818,17 +818,13 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
 
                         filenameTable[filenameIdx] = NULL; // marking end of table
 
-                        curTable = (FileNamesTable*) malloc(sizeof(FileNamesTable));
+                        curTable = UTIL_createFileNamesTable(filenameTable, tableBuf, filenameTableSize);
 
                         if(!curTable) {
                           UTIL_freeFileNamesTable(extendedTable);
                           CLEAN_RETURN(badusage(programName));
                         }
 
-                        curTable->fileNames = filenameTable;
-                        curTable->tableSize = filenameTableSize;
-                        curTable->buf = tableBuf;
-
                         concatenatedTables = UTIL_concatenateTwoTables(curTable, extendedTable);
                         if(!concatenatedTables) {
                           UTIL_freeFileNamesTable(curTable);