diff --git a/src/ucs/type/class.c b/src/ucs/type/class.c
index ce00bb832df..949acb5dfba 100644
--- a/src/ucs/type/class.c
+++ b/src/ucs/type/class.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ void _ucs_class_call_cleanup_chain(ucs_class_t *cls, void *obj, int limit)
     ucs_class_t *c;
     int depth, skip;
 
+    ucs_assert((limit == -1) || (limit >= 1));
+
     /* Count how many classes are there */
     for (depth = 0, c = cls; c != NULL; ++depth, c = c->superclass);
 
diff --git a/src/ucs/type/class.h b/src/ucs/type/class.h
index 991c51edc0a..073823d5083 100644
--- a/src/ucs/type/class.h
+++ b/src/ucs/type/class.h
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ struct ucs_class {
  * Class initialization/cleanup function prototypes.
  */
 #define UCS_CLASS_INIT_FUNC(_type, ...) \
-    ucs_status_t _UCS_CLASS_INIT_NAME(_type)(_type *self, ## __VA_ARGS__, \
-                                      ucs_class_t *_myclass, int *_init_count)
+    ucs_status_t _UCS_CLASS_INIT_NAME(_type)(_type *self, ucs_class_t *_myclass, \
+                                             int *_init_count, ## __VA_ARGS__)
 #define UCS_CLASS_CLEANUP_FUNC(_type) \
     void _UCS_CLASS_CLEANUP_NAME(_type)(_type *self)
 
@@ -89,10 +89,11 @@ struct ucs_class {
     ({ \
         UCS_CLASS_DECLARE(_type) \
         ucs_class_t *cls = &_UCS_CLASS_DECL_NAME(_type); \
-        int init_count = 0; \
+        int init_count = 1; \
         ucs_status_t status; \
         \
-        status = _UCS_CLASS_INIT_NAME(_type)((_type*)(_obj), ## __VA_ARGS__, cls, &init_count); \
+        status = _UCS_CLASS_INIT_NAME(_type)((_type*)(_obj), cls, &init_count, \
+                                             ## __VA_ARGS__); \
         if (status != UCS_OK) { \
             _ucs_class_call_cleanup_chain(&_UCS_CLASS_DECL_NAME(_type), \
                                           (_obj), init_count); \
@@ -170,13 +171,16 @@ struct ucs_class {
  */
 #define UCS_CLASS_CALL_SUPER_INIT(...) \
     { \
+        ucs_assert(*_init_count >= 1); \
         ucs_status_t status = \
-            _myclass->superclass->init(self, ## __VA_ARGS__, \
-                                       _myclass->superclass, _init_count); \
+            _myclass->superclass->init(self, _myclass->superclass, _init_count, \
+                                       ## __VA_ARGS__); \
         if (status != UCS_OK) { \
             return status; \
         } \
-        ++(*_init_count); \
+        if (_myclass->superclass != &_UCS_CLASS_DECL_NAME(void)) { \
+            ++(*_init_count); \
+        } \
     }
 
 
@@ -194,12 +198,13 @@ struct ucs_class {
  *      status = _type##_new(arg1, arg2, arg3, &obj);
  * }
  */
-#define UCS_CLASS_DEFINE_NEW_FUNC(_type, _argtype, ...) \
+#define UCS_CLASS_DECLARE_NEW_FUNC(_type, _argtype, ...) \
     ucs_status_t UCS_CLASS_NEW_FUNC_NAME(_type)( \
                     UCS_PP_FOREACH(_UCS_CLASS_INIT_ARG_DEFINE, _, \
                                    UCS_PP_ZIP((UCS_PP_SEQ(UCS_PP_NUM_ARGS(__VA_ARGS__))), (__VA_ARGS__))) \
-                                   _argtype **obj_p) \
-    { \
+                                   _argtype **obj_p)
+#define UCS_CLASS_DEFINE_NEW_FUNC(_type, _argtype, ...) \
+    UCS_CLASS_DECLARE_NEW_FUNC(_type, _argtype, ## __VA_ARGS__) { \
         return UCS_CLASS_NEW(_type, obj_p \
                              UCS_PP_FOREACH(_UCS_CLASS_INIT_ARG_PASS, _, \
                                             UCS_PP_SEQ(UCS_PP_NUM_ARGS(__VA_ARGS__)))); \
@@ -233,8 +238,10 @@ struct ucs_class {
  *      _type *obj = ...;
  *      _type##_delete(obj);
  */
+#define UCS_CLASS_DECLARE_DELETE_FUNC(_type, _argtype) \
+    void UCS_CLASS_DELETE_FUNC_NAME(_type)(_argtype *self)
 #define UCS_CLASS_DEFINE_DELETE_FUNC(_type, _argtype) \
-    void UCS_CLASS_DELETE_FUNC_NAME(_type)(_argtype *self) \
+    UCS_CLASS_DECLARE_DELETE_FUNC(_type, _argtype) \
     { \
         UCS_CLASS_DELETE(_type, self); \
     }
@@ -257,4 +264,9 @@ struct ucs_class {
 void _ucs_class_call_cleanup_chain(ucs_class_t *cls, void *obj, int limit);
 
 
+/**
+ * The empty class.
+ */
+UCS_CLASS_DECLARE(void);
+
 #endif