diff --git a/lib/std/Build.zig b/lib/std/Build.zig
index 8f4ace6aa2..320dcbe29d 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build.zig
@@ -971,9 +971,7 @@ pub fn addWriteFiles(b: *Build) *Step.WriteFile {
 }
 
 pub fn addRemoveDirTree(self: *Build, dir_path: []const u8) *Step.RemoveDir {
-    const remove_dir_step = self.allocator.create(Step.RemoveDir) catch @panic("OOM");
-    remove_dir_step.* = Step.RemoveDir.init(self, dir_path);
-    return remove_dir_step;
+    return Step.RemoveDir.create(self, dir_path);
 }
 
 pub fn addFmt(b: *Build, options: Step.Fmt.Options) *Step.Fmt {
diff --git a/lib/std/Build/Step/RemoveDir.zig b/lib/std/Build/Step/RemoveDir.zig
index 7666dd2a7d..7a2a56771a 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build/Step/RemoveDir.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build/Step/RemoveDir.zig
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ pub const base_id = .remove_dir;
 step: Step,
 dir_path: []const u8,
 
-pub fn init(owner: *std.Build, dir_path: []const u8) RemoveDir {
-    return RemoveDir{
+pub fn create(owner: *std.Build, dir_path: []const u8) *RemoveDir {
+    const self = owner.allocator.create(RemoveDir) catch @panic("OOM");
+    self.* = .{
         .step = Step.init(.{
             .id = .remove_dir,
             .name = owner.fmt("RemoveDir {s}", .{dir_path}),
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ pub fn init(owner: *std.Build, dir_path: []const u8) RemoveDir {
         }),
         .dir_path = owner.dupePath(dir_path),
     };
+    return self;
 }
 
 fn make(step: *Step, prog_node: *std.Progress.Node) !void {