diff --git a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
index 258b22bfe..542d5abf6 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Config.c
@@ -777,13 +777,7 @@ configServerFlags(XF86ConfFlagsPtr flagsconf, XF86OptionPtr layoutopts)
     MessageType from;
     const char *s;
     XkbRMLVOSet set;
-
-    /* Default options. */
-    set.rules = "base";
-    set.model = "pc105";
-    set.layout = "us";
-    set.variant = NULL;
-    set.options = NULL;
+    const char *rules;
 
     /*
      * Merge the ServerLayout and ServerFlags options.  The former have
@@ -963,9 +957,15 @@ configServerFlags(XF86ConfFlagsPtr flagsconf, XF86OptionPtr layoutopts)
      * evdev rules set. */
 #if defined(linux)
     if (!xf86Info.forceInputDevices)
-        set.rules = "evdev";
+        rules = "evdev";
+    else
 #endif
+        rules = "base";
+
+    /* Xkb default options. */
+    XkbInitRules(&set, rules, "pc105", "us", NULL, NULL);
     XkbSetRulesDflts(&set);
+    XkbFreeRMLVOSet(&set, FALSE);
 
     xf86Info.useDefaultFontPath = TRUE;
     xf86Info.useDefaultFontPathFrom = X_DEFAULT;
diff --git a/include/xkbrules.h b/include/xkbrules.h
index 956eade0b..ab5b4b266 100644
--- a/include/xkbrules.h
+++ b/include/xkbrules.h
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@
 /***====================================================================***/
 
 typedef struct _XkbRMLVOSet {
-    const char *rules;
-    const char *model;
-    const char *layout;
-    const char *variant;
-    const char *options;
+    char *rules;
+    char *model;
+    char *layout;
+    char *variant;
+    char *options;
 } XkbRMLVOSet;
 
 typedef struct _XkbRF_VarDefs {
diff --git a/include/xkbsrv.h b/include/xkbsrv.h
index 0b9ca06d9..e79979927 100644
--- a/include/xkbsrv.h
+++ b/include/xkbsrv.h
@@ -738,6 +738,14 @@ extern _X_EXPORT void XkbClearAllLatchesAndLocks(DeviceIntPtr /* dev */ ,
                                                  XkbEventCausePtr       /* cause */
     );
 
+extern _X_EXPORT void XkbInitRules(XkbRMLVOSet * /* rmlvo   */,
+                                   const char *  /* rules   */,
+                                   const char *  /* model   */,
+                                   const char *  /* layout  */,
+                                   const char *  /* variant */,
+                                   const char *  /* options */
+    ) ;
+
 extern _X_EXPORT void XkbGetRulesDflts(XkbRMLVOSet *    /* rmlvo */
     );
 
diff --git a/test/xkb.c b/test/xkb.c
index 955e72dff..9047f594c 100644
--- a/test/xkb.c
+++ b/test/xkb.c
@@ -82,15 +82,17 @@ xkb_get_rules_test(void)
 static void
 xkb_set_rules_test(void)
 {
-    XkbRMLVOSet rmlvo = {
-        .rules = "test-rules",
-        .model = "test-model",
-        .layout = "test-layout",
-        .variant = "test-variant",
-        .options = "test-options"
-    };
+    XkbRMLVOSet rmlvo;
     XkbRMLVOSet rmlvo_new = { NULL };
 
+    XkbInitRules(&rmlvo, "test-rules", "test-model", "test-layout",
+                         "test-variant", "test-options");
+    assert(rmlvo.rules);
+    assert(rmlvo.model);
+    assert(rmlvo.layout);
+    assert(rmlvo.variant);
+    assert(rmlvo.options);
+
     XkbSetRulesDflts(&rmlvo);
     XkbGetRulesDflts(&rmlvo_new);
 
@@ -106,6 +108,8 @@ xkb_set_rules_test(void)
     assert(strcmp(rmlvo.layout, rmlvo_new.layout) == 0);
     assert(strcmp(rmlvo.variant, rmlvo_new.variant) == 0);
     assert(strcmp(rmlvo.options, rmlvo_new.options) == 0);
+
+    XkbFreeRMLVOSet(&rmlvo, FALSE);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/xkb/xkbInit.c b/xkb/xkbInit.c
index 22b971fc6..33420b6b6 100644
--- a/xkb/xkbInit.c
+++ b/xkb/xkbInit.c
@@ -129,11 +129,11 @@ XkbFreeRMLVOSet(XkbRMLVOSet * rmlvo, Bool freeRMLVO)
     if (!rmlvo)
         return;
 
-    free((void *) rmlvo->rules);
-    free((void *) rmlvo->model);
-    free((void *) rmlvo->layout);
-    free((void *) rmlvo->variant);
-    free((void *) rmlvo->options);
+    free(rmlvo->rules);
+    free(rmlvo->model);
+    free(rmlvo->layout);
+    free(rmlvo->variant);
+    free(rmlvo->options);
 
     if (freeRMLVO)
         free(rmlvo);
@@ -206,6 +206,21 @@ XkbWriteRulesProp(ClientPtr client, void *closure)
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+void
+XkbInitRules(XkbRMLVOSet *rmlvo,
+             const char *rules,
+             const char *model,
+             const char *layout,
+             const char *variant,
+             const char *options)
+{
+    rmlvo->rules = rules ? xnfstrdup(rules) : NULL;
+    rmlvo->model = model ? xnfstrdup(model) : NULL;
+    rmlvo->layout = layout ? xnfstrdup(layout) : NULL;
+    rmlvo->variant = variant ? xnfstrdup(variant) : NULL;
+    rmlvo->options = options ? xnfstrdup(options) : NULL;
+}
+
 static void
 XkbSetRulesUsed(XkbRMLVOSet * rmlvo)
 {