diff --git a/servers/slapd/tools/ldif2id2entry.c b/servers/slapd/tools/ldif2id2entry.c
index e84ed64802..19d13a44c5 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/tools/ldif2id2entry.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/tools/ldif2id2entry.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 	int		dbnum;
 	ID		id;
 	struct dbcache	*db;
-	Backend		*be;
+	Backend		*be = NULL;
 	struct berval	bv;
 	struct berval	*vals[2];
 	Avlnode		*avltypes = NULL;