diff --git a/src/security/security_selinux.c b/src/security/security_selinux.c
index 511e92342c..a3ef728cd9 100644
--- a/src/security/security_selinux.c
+++ b/src/security/security_selinux.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ virSecuritySELinuxMCSFind(virSecurityManagerPtr mgr)
     char *mcs = NULL;
     security_context_t ourSecContext = NULL;
     context_t ourContext = NULL;
-    char *sens, *cat, *tmp;
+    char *sens = NULL, *cat, *tmp;
     int catMin, catMax, catRange;
 
     if (getcon_raw(&ourSecContext) < 0) {