diff --git a/src/platform/utils.hpp b/src/platform/utils.hpp
index f12eb05..7b5a7fc 100644
--- a/src/platform/utils.hpp
+++ b/src/platform/utils.hpp
@@ -169,12 +169,13 @@ namespace detail {
         typename std::enable_if<!std::is_same<typename std::decay<T>::type, void>::value, int>::type = 0
     >
     class optional {
-        bool holds_value = false;
-
         union {
+            char x;
             T uvalue;
         };
 
+        bool holds_value = false;
+
     public:
         optional() noexcept {}
 
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ namespace detail {
 
         optional& operator=(const optional& other) {
             optional copy(other);
-            swap(*this, copy);
+            swap(copy);
             return *this;
         }
 
@@ -229,12 +230,8 @@ namespace detail {
             typename std::enable_if<!std::is_same<typename std::decay<U>::type, optional<T>>::value, int>::type = 0
         >
         optional& operator=(U&& value) {
-            if(holds_value) {
-                uvalue = std::forward<U>(value);
-            } else {
-                new (static_cast<void*>(std::addressof(uvalue))) T(std::forward<U>(value));
-                holds_value = true;
-            }
+            optional o(std::move(value));
+            swap(o);
             return *this;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/symbols/symbols_core.cpp b/src/symbols/symbols_core.cpp
index 0ab9025..52f16f3 100644
--- a/src/symbols/symbols_core.cpp
+++ b/src/symbols/symbols_core.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ namespace detail {
     }
 
     std::vector<stacktrace_frame> resolve_frames(const std::vector<object_frame>& frames) {
-        std::vector<stacktrace_frame> trace(frames.size(), stacktrace_frame { 0, 0, UINT_LEAST32_MAX, "", "" });
+        std::vector<stacktrace_frame> trace(frames.size(), null_frame);
         #if defined(CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_LIBDL) \
             || defined(CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_DBGHELP) \
             || defined(CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_LIBBACKTRACE)
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ namespace detail {
             || defined(CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_ADDR2LINE)
          auto dlframes = get_frames_object_info(frames);
         #endif
-        std::vector<stacktrace_frame> trace(frames.size(), stacktrace_frame { 0, 0, UINT_LEAST32_MAX, "", "" });
+        std::vector<stacktrace_frame> trace(frames.size(), null_frame);
         #ifdef CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_LIBDL
          apply_trace(trace, libdl::resolve_frames(frames));
         #endif