diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index 5ad639cc..9602b642 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -283,12 +283,6 @@ int64_t uv_now(uv_loop_t* loop) {
 }
 
 
-void uv__req_init(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_req_t* req) {
-  loop->counters.req_init++;
-  req->type = UV_UNKNOWN_REQ;
-}
-
-
 int uv_is_active(const uv_handle_t* handle) {
   switch (handle->type) {
   case UV_CHECK:
@@ -369,8 +363,7 @@ int uv_getaddrinfo(uv_loop_t* loop,
     return -1;
   }
 
-  uv__req_init(loop, (uv_req_t*)handle);
-  handle->type = UV_GETADDRINFO;
+  uv__req_init(loop, handle, UV_GETADDRINFO);
   handle->loop = loop;
   handle->cb = cb;
 
diff --git a/src/unix/fs.c b/src/unix/fs.c
index 7cd9c5ea..3417fa62 100644
--- a/src/unix/fs.c
+++ b/src/unix/fs.c
@@ -66,8 +66,7 @@ static void uv_fs_req_init(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_fs_t* req, uv_fs_type fs_type,
   /* Make sure the thread pool is initialized. */
   uv_eio_init(loop);
 
-  uv__req_init(loop, (uv_req_t*)req);
-  req->type = UV_FS;
+  uv__req_init(loop, req, UV_FS);
   req->loop = loop;
   req->fs_type = fs_type;
   req->cb = cb;
@@ -689,7 +688,7 @@ int uv_queue_work(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_work_t* req, uv_work_cb work_cb,
 
   uv_eio_init(loop);
 
-  uv__req_init(loop, (uv_req_t*)req);
+  uv__req_init(loop, req, UV_WORK);
   uv_ref(loop);
   req->loop = loop;
   req->data = data;
diff --git a/src/unix/internal.h b/src/unix/internal.h
index 379b9962..e8701a3f 100644
--- a/src/unix/internal.h
+++ b/src/unix/internal.h
@@ -97,6 +97,15 @@ enum {
   UV_TIMER_REPEAT  = 0x100
 };
 
+inline static void uv__req_init(uv_loop_t* loop,
+                                uv_req_t* req,
+                                uv_req_type type) {
+  loop->counters.req_init++;
+  req->type = type;
+}
+#define uv__req_init(loop, req, type) \
+  uv__req_init((loop), (uv_req_t*)(req), (type))
+
 /* core */
 void uv__handle_init(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_handle_t* handle, uv_handle_type type);
 int uv__nonblock(int fd, int set) __attribute__((unused));
@@ -112,9 +121,6 @@ void uv__loop_delete(uv_loop_t* loop);
 uv_err_code uv_translate_sys_error(int sys_errno);
 void uv_fatal_error(const int errorno, const char* syscall);
 
-/* requests */
-void uv__req_init(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_req_t*);
-
 /* stream */
 void uv__stream_init(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_stream_t* stream,
     uv_handle_type type);
diff --git a/src/unix/stream.c b/src/unix/stream.c
index 0942ec5b..89a5830c 100644
--- a/src/unix/stream.c
+++ b/src/unix/stream.c
@@ -700,12 +700,10 @@ int uv_shutdown(uv_shutdown_t* req, uv_stream_t* stream, uv_shutdown_cb cb) {
   }
 
   /* Initialize request */
-  uv__req_init(stream->loop, (uv_req_t*)req);
+  uv__req_init(stream->loop, req, UV_SHUTDOWN);
   req->handle = stream;
   req->cb = cb;
-
   stream->shutdown_req = req;
-  req->type = UV_SHUTDOWN;
 
   ((uv_handle_t*)stream)->flags |= UV_SHUTTING;
 
@@ -810,10 +808,9 @@ int uv__connect(uv_connect_t* req, uv_stream_t* stream, struct sockaddr* addr,
     }
   }
 
-  uv__req_init(stream->loop, (uv_req_t*)req);
+  uv__req_init(stream->loop, req, UV_CONNECT);
   req->cb = cb;
   req->handle = stream;
-  req->type = UV_CONNECT;
   ngx_queue_init(&req->queue);
 
   if (stream->connect_req) {
@@ -887,12 +884,11 @@ int uv_write2(uv_write_t* req, uv_stream_t* stream, uv_buf_t bufs[], int bufcnt,
   empty_queue = (stream->write_queue_size == 0);
 
   /* Initialize the req */
-  uv__req_init(stream->loop, (uv_req_t*)req);
+  uv__req_init(stream->loop, req, UV_WRITE);
   req->cb = cb;
   req->handle = stream;
   req->error = 0;
   req->send_handle = send_handle;
-  req->type = UV_WRITE;
   ngx_queue_init(&req->queue);
 
   if (bufcnt <= UV_REQ_BUFSML_SIZE) {
diff --git a/src/unix/udp.c b/src/unix/udp.c
index 8c9abb14..105bdc04 100644
--- a/src/unix/udp.c
+++ b/src/unix/udp.c
@@ -437,14 +437,13 @@ static int uv__udp_send(uv_udp_send_t* req,
   if (uv__udp_maybe_deferred_bind(handle, addr->sa_family))
     return -1;
 
-  uv__req_init(handle->loop, (uv_req_t*)req);
+  uv__req_init(handle->loop, req, UV_UDP_SEND);
 
   memcpy(&req->addr, addr, addrlen);
   req->addrlen = addrlen;
   req->send_cb = send_cb;
   req->handle = handle;
   req->bufcnt = bufcnt;
-  req->type = UV_UDP_SEND;
 
   if (bufcnt <= UV_REQ_BUFSML_SIZE) {
     req->bufs = req->bufsml;