diff --git a/servers/slapd/value.c b/servers/slapd/value.c
index c53da1e9eb..b1288d0736 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/value.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/value.c
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ int value_find_ex(
 	}
 
 	if( mr->smr_syntax->ssyn_normalize ) {
-		struct berval nval_tmp;
+		struct berval nval_tmp = { 0, NULL };
 
 		rc = mr->smr_syntax->ssyn_normalize(
 			mr->smr_syntax,