3 files changed, 24 insertions, 38 deletions

diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/convert.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/convert.c
index e99bc3fe4..ddaef0adc 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/convert.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/convert.c
@@ -423,7 +423,9 @@ PyArray_FillWithScalar(PyArrayObject *arr, PyObject *obj)
 }
 
 /*
- * Fills an array with zeros.
+ * Internal function to fill an array with zeros.
+ * Used in einsum and dot, which ensures the dtype is, in some sense, numerical
+ * and not a str or struct
  *
  * dst: The destination array.
  * wheremask: If non-NULL, a boolean mask specifying where to set the values.
@@ -434,21 +436,26 @@ NPY_NO_EXPORT int
 PyArray_AssignZero(PyArrayObject *dst,
                    PyArrayObject *wheremask)
 {
-    npy_bool value;
-    PyArray_Descr *bool_dtype;
-    int retcode;
-
-    /* Create a raw bool scalar with the value False */
-    bool_dtype = PyArray_DescrFromType(NPY_BOOL);
-    if (bool_dtype == NULL) {
-        return -1;
+    int retcode = 0;
+    if (PyArray_ISOBJECT(dst)) {
+        PyObject * pZero = PyLong_FromLong(0);
+        retcode = PyArray_AssignRawScalar(dst, PyArray_DESCR(dst),
+                                     (char *)&pZero, wheremask, NPY_SAFE_CASTING);
+        Py_DECREF(pZero);
     }
-    value = 0;
+    else {
+        /* Create a raw bool scalar with the value False */
+        PyArray_Descr *bool_dtype = PyArray_DescrFromType(NPY_BOOL);
+        if (bool_dtype == NULL) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+        npy_bool value = 0;
 
-    retcode = PyArray_AssignRawScalar(dst, bool_dtype, (char *)&value,
-                                      wheremask, NPY_SAFE_CASTING);
+        retcode = PyArray_AssignRawScalar(dst, bool_dtype, (char *)&value,
+                                          wheremask, NPY_SAFE_CASTING);
 
-    Py_DECREF(bool_dtype);
+        Py_DECREF(bool_dtype);
+    }
     return retcode;
 }
 
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/einsum.c.src b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/einsum.c.src
index e64145203..856dce11b 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/einsum.c.src
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/einsum.c.src
@@ -1048,19 +1048,7 @@ PyArray_EinsteinSum(char *subscripts, npy_intp nop,
 
     /* Initialize the output to all zeros or None*/
     ret = NpyIter_GetOperandArray(iter)[nop];
-    if (PyArray_ISOBJECT(ret)) {
-        /*
-         * Return zero
-         */
-        PyObject * pZero = PyLong_FromLong(0);
-        int assign_result = PyArray_AssignRawScalar(ret, PyArray_DESCR(ret),
-                                     (char *)&pZero, NULL, NPY_SAFE_CASTING);
-        Py_DECREF(pZero);
-        if (assign_result < 0) {
-            goto fail;
-        }
-    }
-    else if (PyArray_AssignZero(ret, NULL) < 0) {
+    if (PyArray_AssignZero(ret, NULL) < 0) {
         goto fail;
     }
 
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
index 36dffe1f4..d7cb78ea8 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ NPY_NO_EXPORT int NPY_NUMUSERTYPES = 0;
 #include "compiled_base.h"
 #include "mem_overlap.h"
 #include "typeinfo.h"
+#include "convert.h" /* for PyArray_AssignZero */
 
 #include "get_attr_string.h"
 #include "experimental_public_dtype_api.h"  /* _get_experimental_dtype_api */
@@ -1084,18 +1085,8 @@ PyArray_MatrixProduct2(PyObject *op1, PyObject *op2, PyArrayObject* out)
     }
     /* Ensure that multiarray.dot(<Nx0>,<0xM>) -> zeros((N,M)) */
     if (PyArray_SIZE(ap1) == 0 && PyArray_SIZE(ap2) == 0) {
-        if (PyArray_ISOBJECT(out_buf)) {
-            // issue gh-23492: fill with int(0) when there is no iteration
-            PyObject * pZero = PyLong_FromLong(0);
-            int assign_result = PyArray_AssignRawScalar(out_buf, PyArray_DESCR(out_buf),
-                                         (char *)&pZero, NULL, NPY_SAFE_CASTING);
-            Py_DECREF(pZero);
-            if (assign_result < 0) {
-                goto fail;
-            }
-        }
-        else {
-            memset(PyArray_DATA(out_buf), 0, PyArray_NBYTES(out_buf));
+        if (PyArray_AssignZero(out_buf, NULL) < 0) {
+            goto fail;
         }
     }