diff --git a/control/controlclient/auto_test.go b/control/controlclient/auto_test.go
index a4a3f10d9..51f5149a3 100644
--- a/control/controlclient/auto_test.go
+++ b/control/controlclient/auto_test.go
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ func (s *server) newClient(t *testing.T, name string) *client {
 			t.Helper()
 			t.Logf(name+": "+fmt, args...)
 		},
-		Hostinfo: &hi,
+		Hostinfo: hi,
 		NewDecompressor: func() (Decompressor, error) {
 			return zstd.NewReader(nil)
 		},
diff --git a/control/controlclient/direct_test.go b/control/controlclient/direct_test.go
index 803d0cdbc..4946be441 100644
--- a/control/controlclient/direct_test.go
+++ b/control/controlclient/direct_test.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func TestClientsReusingKeys(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Helper()
 			t.Logf("c1: "+fmt, args...)
 		},
-		Hostinfo: &hi,
+		Hostinfo: hi,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func TestClientsReusingKeys(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Logf("c2: "+fmt, args...)
 		},
 		Persist:  c1.GetPersist(),
-		Hostinfo: &hi,
+		Hostinfo: hi,
 		NewDecompressor: func() (Decompressor, error) {
 			return zstd.NewReader(nil)
 		},
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func TestClientsReusingOldKey(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Helper()
 				t.Logf("c1: "+fmt, args...)
 			},
-			Hostinfo: &hi,
+			Hostinfo: hi,
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/ipn/local.go b/ipn/local.go
index cf83d5ca1..e8f85e4b4 100644
--- a/ipn/local.go
+++ b/ipn/local.go
@@ -325,6 +325,11 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) runPoller() {
 		}
 
 		b.mu.Lock()
+		if b.hiCache == nil {
+			// TODO(bradfitz): it's a little weird that this port poller
+			// is started (by NewLocalBackend) before the Start call.
+			b.hiCache = new(tailcfg.Hostinfo)
+		}
 		hi := b.hiCache
 		hi.Services = sl
 		b.hiCache = hi