diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c b/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c
index 5021fc5c59..d248d41866 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c
@@ -585,7 +585,8 @@ ldap_back_referral_result_rewrite(
 	last--;
 
 	for ( i = 0; !BER_BVISNULL( &a_vals[ i ] ); i++ ) {
-		struct berval	dn, olddn;
+		struct berval	dn,
+				olddn = BER_BVNULL;
 		int		rc;
 		LDAPURLDesc	*ludp;
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/overlays/rwmmap.c b/servers/slapd/overlays/rwmmap.c
index e8a630cce6..62bb845685 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/overlays/rwmmap.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/overlays/rwmmap.c
@@ -807,7 +807,8 @@ rwm_referral_rewrite(
 	}
 
 	for ( i = 0; !BER_BVISNULL( &a_vals[i] ); i++ ) {
-		struct berval	olddn, oldval;
+		struct berval	olddn = BER_BVNULL,
+				oldval;
 		int		rc;
 		LDAPURLDesc	*ludp;
 
@@ -1059,7 +1060,8 @@ rwm_referral_result_rewrite(
 	last--;
 
 	for ( i = 0; !BER_BVISNULL( &a_vals[i] ); i++ ) {
-		struct berval	dn, olddn;
+		struct berval	dn,
+				olddn = BER_BVNULL;
 		int		rc;
 		LDAPURLDesc	*ludp;