diff --git a/diff_drive_controller/src/diff_drive_controller.cpp b/diff_drive_controller/src/diff_drive_controller.cpp
index 846dc2aa42..e09e2cc08c 100644
--- a/diff_drive_controller/src/diff_drive_controller.cpp
+++ b/diff_drive_controller/src/diff_drive_controller.cpp
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ DiffDriveController::init(const std::string & controller_name)
   try {
     auto node = get_node();
     // with the lifecycle node being initialized, we can declare parameters
-    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<std::string>>("left_wheel_names", {});
-    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<std::string>>("right_wheel_names", {});
+    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<std::string>>(
+      "left_wheel_names", std::vector<std::string>());
+    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<std::string>>(
+      "right_wheel_names", std::vector<std::string>());
 
     node->declare_parameter<double>("wheel_separation", wheel_params_.separation);
     node->declare_parameter<int>("wheels_per_side", wheel_params_.wheels_per_side);
@@ -79,8 +81,9 @@ DiffDriveController::init(const std::string & controller_name)
 
     node->declare_parameter<std::string>("odom_frame_id", odom_params_.odom_frame_id);
     node->declare_parameter<std::string>("base_frame_id", odom_params_.base_frame_id);
-    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<double>>("pose_covariance_diagonal", {});
-    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<double>>("twist_covariance_diagonal", {});
+    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<double>>("pose_covariance_diagonal", std::vector<double>());
+    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<double>>(
+      "twist_covariance_diagonal", std::vector<double>());
     node->declare_parameter<bool>("open_loop", odom_params_.open_loop);
     node->declare_parameter<bool>("enable_odom_tf", odom_params_.enable_odom_tf);
 
diff --git a/forward_command_controller/src/forward_command_controller.cpp b/forward_command_controller/src/forward_command_controller.cpp
index 4b1fd57439..2ce5c96d97 100644
--- a/forward_command_controller/src/forward_command_controller.cpp
+++ b/forward_command_controller/src/forward_command_controller.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ ForwardCommandController::init(const std::string & controller_name)
 
   try {
     auto node = get_node();
-    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<std::string>>("joints", {});
+    node->declare_parameter<std::vector<std::string>>("joints", std::vector<std::string>());
 
     node->declare_parameter<std::string>("interface_name", "");
   } catch (const std::exception & e) {
diff --git a/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp b/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp
index 83b5de96ce..855afafdcf 100644
--- a/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp
+++ b/joint_trajectory_controller/src/joint_trajectory_controller.cpp
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ JointTrajectoryController::on_activate(const rclcpp_lifecycle::State &)
         command_interfaces_, joint_names_, interface, joint_command_interface_[index]))
     {
       RCLCPP_ERROR(
-        node_->get_logger(), "Expected %u '%s' command interfaces, got %u.",
+        node_->get_logger(), "Expected %zu '%s' command interfaces, got %zu.",
         joint_names_.size(), interface.c_str(), joint_command_interface_[index].size());
       return rclcpp_lifecycle::node_interfaces::LifecycleNodeInterface::CallbackReturn::ERROR;
     }
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ JointTrajectoryController::on_activate(const rclcpp_lifecycle::State &)
         state_interfaces_, joint_names_, interface, joint_state_interface_[index]))
     {
       RCLCPP_ERROR(
-        node_->get_logger(), "Expected %u '%s' state interfaces, got %u.",
+        node_->get_logger(), "Expected %zu '%s' state interfaces, got %zu.",
         joint_names_.size(), interface.c_str(), joint_state_interface_[index].size());
       return rclcpp_lifecycle::node_interfaces::LifecycleNodeInterface::CallbackReturn::ERROR;
     }