diff --git a/include/storagecommands.hpp b/include/storagecommands.hpp
index c9e2bd2..42cc85b 100644
--- a/include/storagecommands.hpp
+++ b/include/storagecommands.hpp
@@ -103,12 +103,34 @@
     uint8_t channelNumber;
     uint8_t powerStateNotification;
     uint8_t deviceCapabilities;
-    uint24_t reserved;
+    // define reserved bytes explicitly. The uint24_t is silently expanded to
+    // uint32_t, which ruins the byte alignment required by this structure.
+    uint8_t reserved[3];
     uint8_t entityID;
     uint8_t entityInstance;
     uint8_t oem;
     uint8_t typeLengthCode;
     char name[16];
+
+    Type12Record(uint16_t recordID, uint8_t address, uint8_t chNumber,
+                 uint8_t pwrStateNotification, uint8_t capabilities,
+                 uint8_t eid, uint8_t entityInst, uint8_t mfrDefined,
+                 const std::string& sensorname) :
+        slaveAddress(address),
+        channelNumber(chNumber), powerStateNotification(pwrStateNotification),
+        deviceCapabilities(capabilities), reserved{}, entityID(eid),
+        entityInstance(entityInst), oem(mfrDefined)
+    {
+        get_sdr::header::set_record_id(recordID, &header);
+        header.sdr_version = ipmiSdrVersion;
+        header.record_type = 0x12;
+        size_t nameLen = std::min(sensorname.size(), sizeof(name));
+        header.record_length = sizeof(Type12Record) -
+                               sizeof(get_sdr::SensorDataRecordHeader) -
+                               sizeof(name) + nameLen;
+        typeLengthCode = 0xc0 | nameLen;
+        std::copy(sensorname.begin(), sensorname.begin() + nameLen, name);
+    }
 };
 #pragma pack(pop)
 
diff --git a/src/storagecommands.cpp b/src/storagecommands.cpp
index bd43a34..e9dc344 100644
--- a/src/storagecommands.cpp
+++ b/src/storagecommands.cpp
@@ -1219,45 +1219,15 @@
     std::vector<uint8_t> resp;
     if (index == 0)
     {
-        Type12Record bmc = {};
-        bmc.header.record_id_lsb = recordId;
-        bmc.header.record_id_msb = recordId >> 8;
-        bmc.header.sdr_version = ipmiSdrVersion;
-        bmc.header.record_type = 0x12;
-        bmc.header.record_length = 0x1b;
-        bmc.slaveAddress = 0x20;
-        bmc.channelNumber = 0;
-        bmc.powerStateNotification = 0;
-        bmc.deviceCapabilities = 0xBF;
-        bmc.reserved = 0;
-        bmc.entityID = 0x2E;
-        bmc.entityInstance = 1;
-        bmc.oem = 0;
-        bmc.typeLengthCode = 0xD0;
         std::string bmcName = "Basbrd Mgmt Ctlr";
-        std::copy(bmcName.begin(), bmcName.end(), bmc.name);
+        Type12Record bmc(recordId, 0x20, 0, 0, 0xbf, 0x2e, 1, 0, bmcName);
         uint8_t* bmcPtr = reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(&bmc);
         resp.insert(resp.end(), bmcPtr, bmcPtr + sizeof(Type12Record));
     }
     else if (index == 1)
     {
-        Type12Record me = {};
-        me.header.record_id_lsb = recordId;
-        me.header.record_id_msb = recordId >> 8;
-        me.header.sdr_version = ipmiSdrVersion;
-        me.header.record_type = 0x12;
-        me.header.record_length = 0x16;
-        me.slaveAddress = 0x2C;
-        me.channelNumber = 6;
-        me.powerStateNotification = 0x24;
-        me.deviceCapabilities = 0x21;
-        me.reserved = 0;
-        me.entityID = 0x2E;
-        me.entityInstance = 2;
-        me.oem = 0;
-        me.typeLengthCode = 0xCB;
         std::string meName = "Mgmt Engine";
-        std::copy(meName.begin(), meName.end(), me.name);
+        Type12Record me(recordId, 0x2c, 6, 0x24, 0x21, 0x2e, 2, 0, meName);
         uint8_t* mePtr = reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(&me);
         resp.insert(resp.end(), mePtr, mePtr + sizeof(Type12Record));
     }