diff --git a/src/cntlr.c b/src/cntlr.c
index 35ca40d4a556b4f3792e0488c309daab85e1fce8..d3f5538dbbbba669f294c17482782cd61f9ce5bf 100644
--- a/src/cntlr.c
+++ b/src/cntlr.c
@@ -1994,7 +1994,7 @@ static void send_buildcmdu_cb(struct ubus_request *req,
 	uint8_t *tlv = NULL;
 	struct cmdu_buff *cmdu = NULL;
 	struct controller *c;
-	uint16_t mid;
+	uint16_t mid = 0;
 	struct blob_attr *tb[2];
 	static const struct blobmsg_policy cb_attr[2] = {
 		[0] = { .name = "type", .type = BLOBMSG_TYPE_INT32 },