diff --git a/glib/gvariant.h b/glib/gvariant.h
index ede16b70f..4868cbacd 100644
--- a/glib/gvariant.h
+++ b/glib/gvariant.h
@@ -346,19 +346,19 @@ GQuark                          g_variant_parse_error_quark             (void);
  *
  * A stack-allocated [struct@GLib.VariantBuilder] must be initialized
  * if it is used together with
- * [`g_auto()`](auto-cleanup.html#variable-declaration) to avoid
- * warnings or crashes if function returns before
- * [method@GLib.VariantBuilder.init] is called on the builder.
+ * [`g_auto()`](auto-cleanup.html#variable-declaration). This macro can
+ * be used as initializer when declaring the builder, but it cannot be
+ * assigned to a variable.
  *
- * This macro can be used as initializer instead of an
- * explicit zeroing a variable when declaring it and a following
- * [method@GLib.VariantBuilder.init], but it cannot be assigned to a
- * variable.
+ * The effects of initializing the builder with
+ * `G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT` is the same as initializing it with
+ * [func@GLib.VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT_UNSET], followed by a call to
+ * [method@GLib.VariantBuilder.init].
  *
  * The passed @variant_type should be a static [type@GLib.VariantType]
  * to avoid lifetime issues, as copying the @variant_type does not
- * happen in the [func@GLib.VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT] call, but rather in
- * functions that make sure that [struct@GLib.VariantBuilder] is valid.
+ * happen in the `G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT` call, but rather in functions
+ * that make sure that [struct@GLib.VariantBuilder] is valid.
  *
  * ```c
  *   g_auto(GVariantBuilder) builder = G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT (G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTESTRING);
@@ -375,6 +375,38 @@ GQuark                          g_variant_parse_error_quark             (void);
     }                                                                                 \
   }
 
+/**
+ * G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT_UNSET:
+ *
+ * A stack-allocated [struct@GLib.VariantBuilder] must be initialized
+ * if it is used together with
+ * [`g_auto()`](auto-cleanup.html#variable-declaration). This macro can
+ * be used as initializer when declaring the builder, but it cannot be
+ * assigned to a variable.
+ *
+ * The builder can be initialized to a specific [type@GLib.VariantType]
+ * later with [method@GLib.VariantBuilder.init].
+ *
+ * Use [func@GLib.VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT] to directly initialize the
+ * builder with a specific [type@GLib.VariantType].
+ *
+ * ```c
+ *   g_auto(GVariantBuilder) builder = G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT_UNSET ();
+ *
+ *   if (condition)
+ *     return NULL;
+ *
+ *   g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE ("a{su}"));
+ *   return g_variant_ref_sink (g_variant_builder_end (&builder));
+ * ```
+ *
+ * Since: 2.84
+ */
+#define G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT_UNSET() \
+  {                                    \
+    0,                                 \
+  } GLIB_AVAILABLE_MACRO_IN_2_84
+
 GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 GVariantBuilder *               g_variant_builder_new                   (const GVariantType   *type);
 GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
diff --git a/glib/tests/gvariant.c b/glib/tests/gvariant.c
index 416d58f0e..12a35dad9 100644
--- a/glib/tests/gvariant.c
+++ b/glib/tests/gvariant.c
@@ -5106,6 +5106,27 @@ test_stack_builder_init_static (void)
   g_variant_unref (variant);
 }
 
+static void
+test_stack_builder_init_unset (void)
+{
+  GVariantBuilder builder1 = G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT_UNSET ();
+  GVariantBuilder builder2 = G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT_UNSET ();
+  GVariantBuilder builder3 = G_VARIANT_BUILDER_INIT_UNSET ();
+  GVariant *variant;
+
+  g_variant_builder_clear (&builder1);
+
+  g_variant_builder_init_static (&builder2, G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTESTRING);
+  g_variant_builder_add_value (&builder2, g_variant_new_byte ('\0'));
+  variant = g_variant_ref_sink (g_variant_builder_end (&builder2));
+  g_assert_nonnull (variant);
+  g_variant_unref (variant);
+  g_variant_builder_clear (&builder2);
+
+  g_variant_builder_init (&builder3, G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTESTRING);
+  g_variant_builder_clear (&builder3);
+}
+
 static GVariant *
 get_asv (void)
 {
@@ -5973,6 +5994,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
   g_test_add_func ("/gvariant/stack-builder-init", test_stack_builder_init);
   g_test_add_func ("/gvariant/stack-builder-init-static", test_stack_builder_init_static);
+  g_test_add_func ("/gvariant/stack-builder-init-unset", test_stack_builder_init_unset);
   g_test_add_func ("/gvariant/stack-dict-init", test_stack_dict_init);
 
   g_test_add_func ("/gvariant/normal-checking/tuples",