diff --git a/softmmu/runstate.c b/softmmu/runstate.c
index 15640572c0..10d9b7365a 100644
--- a/softmmu/runstate.c
+++ b/softmmu/runstate.c
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ static void qemu_run_exit_notifiers(void)
 
 void qemu_init_subsystems(void)
 {
-    Error *err;
+    Error *err = NULL;
 
     os_set_line_buffering();